Horror-free escape room near Hongik Univ. Station: Cube Escape

On a hot day, I went looking for a good indoor date spot and ended up at Cube Escape, an escape room café in Hongdae. I played Hansel and Gretel, a fairy-tale-themed room, and the difficulty was totally manageable even for escape room beginners — my friend and I had a great time. Here's my spoiler-free review!

Where is Cube Escape Hongdae Branch, and what are its hours?

• Location: 4th floor, Mugwang Building, 15 Yanghwa-ro 16-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul
• Hours: Mon–Thu 11:00–23:45 / Fri–Sun 10:00–00:00
• Other: No parking, reservations available via Naver Reservation and the official website

Finding the Mugwang Building entrance

Cube Escape Hongdae Branch sits between Hongik University Station and Hapjeong Station, which made it a great stop on a Hongdae date course.

The shop is on the 4th floor of the building, and the elevator wasn't running on the day I visited, so I got a mini workout climbing the stairs, haha.

Inside Cube Escape Hongdae Branch: mood and facilities

After entering, we switched into slippers (not required). The waiting area was spacious and the air conditioning kept things cool and comfortable. After sitting down, we scanned a QR code for customer consent and watched Cube Escape's usage guide video. A staff member also kindly explained how the locks work, so even first-timers should have no trouble.

After storing our bags, we went straight in. We were asked to switch our phones to silent, and there was a charging station on one side so you could charge your phone while playing.

The restrooms inside the shop were also separated by gender, which was convenient.

Cube Escape theme lineup and prices

Cube Escape has a wide variety of theme genres to choose from, so it was easy to pick one that fit our taste. The horror level also varies a lot, so there's plenty to choose from whether you love scary themes or, like me, can't handle horror at all.

Pricing gets cheaper per person as the group grows, which looked great for visiting with a group of friends. I saw a lot of student customers waiting around too.

How hard is the Hansel and Gretel theme? (no spoilers)

Hansel and Gretel is a fairy-tale-themed adventure room with a 60-minute time limit.

• ✅ Escape result: Escaped with 16 minutes left! Up to 4 hints were available, and we used 2.
• 📚 Number of puzzles was under 20 — not too many, not too few, just right. If we hadn't used hints, I think we'd have escaped right at the buzzer.
• 🔒 About 70% locks / ⚙️ 30% devices, so the device ratio was on the lower side, but a few surprising mechanisms popped up here and there that were fun. We really had to use our brains — full brain power activated.
• 🏃 Physical activity level is on the lower side. You could play in a skirt just fine, but comfortable clothes are still a good idea.
• ⭐ Difficulty: Totally manageable for escape room beginners! My friend who came with me was also a beginner and played without trouble. With its fairy-tale concept, it seemed like it would also suit families with kids.
• 🌸 Dirt path–dirt-and-grass path–grass path–grass-and-flower path–flower path–flower field path–dream theme

It's not a flashy, large-scale theme, but it was solidly fun, and it's a great pick for anyone looking for a horror-free theme or just starting out with escape rooms.

Escape rewards and the Polaroid photo zone

The escape reward changed depending on how many hints we used.

• No hints: Polaroid + discount coupon + yakgwa (traditional honey cookie)
• 1 hint: discount coupon + yakgwa
• 2 hints: yakgwa
• 3+ hints: oatmeal cookie

We used 2 hints, so we each got a mini yakgwa.

There were plenty of Polaroid photo props set up for anyone who escaped without using a hint. I really wanted to take a Polaroid photo, so that part was a little disappointing haha.

Who should book Hansel and Gretel at Cube Escape Hongdae?

If you're looking for an escape room café in Hongdae, or want to try something a little different for a Hongdae date course, I'd recommend Cube Escape Hongdae Branch. The Hansel and Gretel theme I played this time was a fairy-tale-based adventure room with no horror elements, and a difficulty level that beginners can enjoy without pressure. Next time I want to try a slightly harder theme. As for horror escape rooms... when will I ever be ready for that, haha?