No-scares escape room in Hongdae: 5 minutes to spare at Cube Escape

On hot days like these, it's natural to look for a cool indoor activity to enjoy. If you want to hang out with friends in a different way or are planning a date course, nothing beats an escape room in Hongdae for fun.

I really love mystery entertainment shows like Escape the Crime Scene, Girls' High School Mystery Club, and Crime Scene, so I enjoy escape rooms fairly often. This time I went with friends to Cube Escape Hongdae Branch, an escape room café in Hongdae.

Where is Cube Escape Hongdae Branch and how do you get there?

Cube Escape Hongdae Branch sits between Hongdae Station and Hapjeong Station, so accessibility was really good. It's also close to Sangsu Station, so you can visit comfortably from any of those stations. I walked slowly from Hongdae Station, and the distance was just right for taking in the Hongdae streets along the way — it would make a great date course too.

Lockers and indoor slippers before you enter Cube Escape

Once you arrive, you store all your belongings, including your phone, in a locker before entering. If you came in uncomfortable shoes, you can also change into the indoor slippers provided, which was nice.

How to book Cube Escape Hongdae Branch

I'd recommend booking in advance. Same-day walk-ins are possible, but the theme and time slot you want might not be available. For reference, Naver Reservation only showed some of the time slots.

If you want to book a specific time, the official website was the most convenient option. Time-slot booking is available, and you can reserve without signing up as a member, which made it much simpler.

Want a horror-free theme? Hansel and Gretel is rated 0

This time, my friends and I picked the Hansel and Gretel theme, which has a horror rating of 0. None of us were into horror, so it was a choice everyone was happy with. There are almost no jump-scare elements and the difficulty isn't hard, making it a perfect theme to play with a friend trying an escape room for the first time.

Playing Hansel and Gretel: how the 60 minutes went

Before entering, a staff member kindly explained how to play along with an instructional video. We entered with our eyes closed and the game started right away — there was almost no physical activity or active movement required.

Overall the difficulty wasn't hard, and there were almost no jump-scare moments. We used all 4 hints provided and managed to escape with about 5 minutes to spare. The process of solving problems while constantly bouncing ideas off each other with my friends was really fun.

Some puzzles were easy to solve, but there were others we never would have figured out without a hint, which gave us a fair sense of accomplishment. Overall, I felt this was a theme beginners could enjoy without much pressure.

Verdict on the Hansel and Gretel room at Cube Escape Hongdae

• Horror level ★☆☆☆☆ (almost none)
• Difficulty ★★☆☆☆
• Physical activity ★☆☆☆☆
• Recommended for beginners ★★★★★
• Recommended for friends/couples ★★★★★

On sweltering days like these, a cool indoor date is far more appealing than an outdoor one. If you're looking for a different kind of indoor activity or date course, Cube Escape Hongdae Branch, an escape room café in Hongdae, was a satisfying choice. It's especially a theme I'd recommend to people who can't handle horror or are trying an escape room for the first time. Give the beginner-friendly Hansel and Gretel theme a try — it's worth experiencing.