Escape room indoor date in Hongdae: 2 hints to escape, Cube Escape

My girlfriend and I had dinner and were trying to figure out what to do next, so we looked for an indoor date. Searching around, there were a lot of Hongdae escape rooms. Since it had been a while for both of us, we decided to pick one and go check it out.

Where is Cube Escape Hongdae Branch? 4th floor, Mugwang Building on Yangwha-ro 16-gil

If you're looking for a Hongdae escape room, head to the Mugwang Building on Yangwha-ro 16-gil. It's on the 4th floor, and the moment you step off the elevator you see the cube-shaped logo.

Inside Cube Escape Hongdae Branch: props set out in the waiting area

Once you walk into Cube Escape Hongdae Branch, there are several tables to sit and wait at. It's decorated with brick and dim lighting, so the mood is set even before you go in.

Each table has a prop matching a different theme. One wall even has decorations that look like Egyptian reliefs. Near the counter, there are various types of locks used for solving puzzles lined up — since these are the actual ones you'll meet inside the rooms, you can check them out beforehand.

Themes at Cube Escape Hongdae: picking from about eight rooms

Theme posters are hung on the wall. There are about eight themes total, including Organ Trafficking, Secret of the Pyramid, and GESTAPO. Each theme has its own description sheet, so you can read through and choose. Difficulty and horror levels are listed too, so you can avoid the scary ones if that's not your thing.

We chose Hansel and Gretel. The difficulty is listed as medium-low, with a one-hour time limit.

Before entering: staff explain how the locks work

The pricing structure works so the price per person drops as the group size increases. Before starting, a staff member gives you a briefing on how everything works.

They show you, one by one, what kinds of locks appear in the escape room, and even explain how to open them, so there's no confusion. If it's your first time or it's been a while, this briefing really helps. You're asked to put your phone on silent and leave your bags in a locker.

Playing the Hansel and Gretel theme: you enter with your eyes closed

Entering the room was unusual. You're asked to close your eyes and move according to the staff member's guidance. Only once you've reached your spot do you open your eyes and begin. Since you don't know how you got in, you completely lose your sense of direction. Even just walking in already felt like being inside the theme.

The result: escaped Hansel and Gretel within the hour using two hints

We used two hints along the way and escaped within the hour. The staff told us the success rate is about 50 to 60 percent, meaning about half the people don't make it out — which made escaping feel even better.

It was fun looking at the puzzles together and talking through what we thought each one meant. There's a real thrill when something you've been stuck on finally clicks. I think that's the fun of doing a Hongdae escape room as a pair — it would have taken so much longer alone.

When we came out, they gave us two yakgwa (Korean honey cookies). What you get depends on how many hints you used — no hints gets you a drink too, and using more than three switches the prize to cookies. The prize chart is posted on the wall, so you see it even before going in, and we left saying we should try it with no hints next time.

One-line verdict on Cube Escape Hongdae Branch: who it suits

This is a great option when you've had dinner and don't know what else to do — a Hongdae escape room. Solving things together as a pair keeps the conversation going nonstop. Even as first-timers, they teach you how to use the locks from the start, so there's no pressure, and since it wraps up in an hour, it fits well right after dinner. There are quite a lot of themes among Hongdae escape rooms here, so next time I want to try a different one.