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

- By Jieum (https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-close-up/)
- Written Aug 9, 2026
- Local places › Things to do › Mapo, Seoul
- Sponsored: This post was written after receiving a complimentary visit experience from the business.
- English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-close-up/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube/
- Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@seoul-close-up/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube/index.md)

## In short

Cube Escape Hongdae Branch is an escape room café on the 4th floor of the Mugwang Building between Hongik University Station and Hapjeong Station in Mapo, Seoul. In the fairy-tale adventure theme Hansel and Gretel, the writer used 2 of the available hints and escaped with 16 minutes left on the 60-minute clock, in a room built on 70% locks and 30% devices with no horror elements at all. Hansel and Gretel at Cube Escape Hongdae Branch suits escape room beginners and anyone who wants a scare-free theme.

## Good to know

- **Location**: 4th floor, Mugwang Building, 15 Yanghwa-ro 16-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul (between Hongik Univ. Station and Hapjeong Station)
- **Hours**: Mon–Thu 11:00–23:45 / Fri–Sun 10:00–00:00
- **Parking**: Not available
- **Reservations**: Available through Naver Reservation or the official website
- **Theme played**: Hansel and Gretel (fairy-tale adventure theme, 60-minute time limit)
- **Hints**: Up to 4 available; 2 used in this play
- **Result**: Escaped successfully with 16 minutes remaining
- **Escape rewards**: No hints: Polaroid + discount coupon + yakgwa (honey cookie) / 1 hint: discount coupon + yakgwa / 2 hints: yakgwa / 3 or more hints: oatmeal cookie
- **Pricing structure**: The per-person price drops as the group gets bigger

*as written by the visitor on Aug 9, 2026*

![Main image of the Hansel and Gretel theme at Cube Escape Hongdae Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube-01-1gyx6-1200.webp)

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

![Exterior of the Mugwang Building where Cube Escape Hongdae Branch is located](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube-02-sgcky-900.webp)

![Entrance to the escape room café building between Hongik Univ. Station and Hapjeong Station](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube-03-1gnu4-900.webp)

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

![Building stairs leading up to the 4th-floor shop](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube-04-hsvud-900.webp)

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

![Waiting area at Cube Escape Hongdae Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube-05-1h1yf-900.webp)

![Interior waiting seats and signage at the escape room café](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube-06-1cqny-966.webp)

![Shoe rack with slippers to change into after entering](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube-07-oax8z-900.webp)

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.

![Cube Escape usage guide posting](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube-08-dog0g-900.webp)

![Lockers area for storing belongings](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube-09-1vlbh-900.webp)

![Corner of the shop set up with phone chargers](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube-10-t30zh-966.webp)

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.

![Entrance to the gender-separated restrooms inside the shop](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube-11-1palt-900.webp)

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

## Cube Escape theme lineup and prices

![Poster introducing Cube Escape's themes](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube-12-kx9qb-484.webp)

![Poster introducing an escape room theme](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube-13-nrwmp-759.webp)

![Poster showing themes sorted by genre](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube-14-cwze8-m-802.webp)

![Poster showing each theme's horror rating](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube-15-dtbem-789.webp)

![Poster showing the theme lineup at Cube Escape Hongdae Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube-16-lcy03-821.webp)

![Poster introducing themes including Hansel and Gretel](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube-17-38gbr-759.webp)

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.

![Cube Escape pricing board showing rates by group size](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube-18-1ow9e-899.webp)

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

![Display shelf and signage explaining escape rewards by hint count](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube-19-1ykml-m-900.webp)

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.

![Polaroid photo zone used for a no-hint escape](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube-20-1cgiz-900.webp)

![Photo props set up at the photo zone](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube/hongdae-escape-room-hansel-gretel-cube-21-1ofiz-900.webp)

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?

## Where it is

- Cube Escape Hongdae Branch (큐브이스케이프 홍대점)
- 15 Yanghwa-ro 16-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea (Mugwang Building, 4th floor)
- 서울특별시 마포구 양화로16길 15 무광빌딩 4층
- 37.5534368, 126.9206197
- Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%ED%81%90%EB%B8%8C%EC%9D%B4%EC%8A%A4%EC%BC%80%EC%9D%B4%ED%94%84%20%ED%99%8D%EB%8C%80%EC%A0%90/@37.5534368,126.9206197,17z

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