Egyptian-theme escape room in Hongdae: Pyramid's Secret, Cube Escape

A beginner's success story: our Pyramid's Secret review at Cube Escape Hongdae Branch (escape room theme recommendation)

Wanting a slightly different kind of date in Hongdae, we decided to try an escape room where we could really use our heads and get fully immersed!! haha This was our first time doing an escape room together as a couple — we'd each tried one solo before, but we were basically total beginners~!

Booking Cube Escape Hongdae Branch and the best theme for beginners

We booked Cube Escape Hongdae Branch in advance through their website. They recommend Pyramid and Hansel and Gretel for absolute beginners, so we went with Pyramid, which apparently has a very high success rate~!

We picked a time slot for Pyramid that worked for us and headed to the store~!

Among all the themes, Pyramid's Secret, the one recommended for beginners, looked easy to enjoy without pressure even for someone like me who doesn't do escape rooms often, or who's trying it for the first time!! And after actually playing it, I was really satisfied! Doing this one made me want to try other themes too!

How it works at Cube Escape Hongdae Branch: the lobby and choosing a theme

Walking into Cube Escape Hongdae Branch, the whole vibe felt less like an ordinary café and more like stepping into an actual secret space. The dim lighting and rough-textured walls built up the immersion before the game even started. The lobby was also bigger than I expected, so even arriving early, we could wait comfortably.

On the walls were displays for a range of themes — Pyramid, Hansel and Gretel, Gestapo, Towering, Organ Trafficking, and more. With options ranging from scary themes to more logic-focused ones, it looked easy to pick based on your taste. I wanted something that leaned more on logic than horror, so I went with Pyramid, and I think it was the right call haha. If you're looking up Hongdae escape room rankings, I'd say it's best to choose based on your own experience level and tolerance for scares rather than just picking the most popular theme!!

How early should you arrive for an escape room in Hongdae?

First, you arrive at the store 10 minutes before your reservation~!! If you're late, your play time can get cut short, so it's best to arrive at least 10 to 15 minutes early. We arrived exactly 10 minutes early ourselves, but I'd say 15 minutes is even better. Use the bathroom, grab some water as soon as you arrive — you're going to be locked in a room for an hour, so get everything sorted beforehand~!

Once we were ready, we signed a participation waiver and watched a briefing video before entering. Having the rules explained through a video meant everything sank in clearly.

After the video, a staff member came over to explain the rest, including how to use hints. First-timers should have no trouble as long as they follow this order haha.

What prize do you get for escaping?

I didn't know this, but there's actually a prize for escaping. If you escape without using a single hint, you get a Polaroid photo — and I'm guessing everyone tries their best to get that photo? But honestly, escaping with zero hints seems pretty tough... haha lol.

Before starting, you have to put all your belongings — phone, bag, everything — into a locker before entering. The lockers were bigger than expected, so even a bag and outerwear fit in easily haha. You're not allowed to take photos or search anything up during the game, so we tucked our phones away neatly and headed in!! Now the real challenge begins lol.

Pyramid's Secret: how hard is it for total beginners?

Pyramid's Secret puts you in the role of a world-famous explorer investigating an Egyptian pyramid. The time limit is a full 60 minutes!! You have to find clues in the room and solve puzzles one by one to escape. Since specifics about the puzzles or mechanisms would be spoilers, I won't go into detail about what's inside haha.

We ended up using two hints. For one, we'd almost figured it out and actually knew it, but we felt like we'd spent too much time on the first puzzle already, so we used a hint — and it turned out to be the answer we already had in mind ,,haha. Getting stuck early made us anxious about all the puzzles still waiting ahead. ㅠㅠ In the end we used a hint out of impatience, and after seeing it, I thought, 'Ah, maybe I should've thought about it just a little longer?' haha

But there was another puzzle that felt so hard I genuinely wonder if we could have made it in time without a hint. No matter how long we looked at it, we couldn't find the right direction, so that time I was glad we used one!! Doing an escape room really taught me that while saving hints matters, it's just as important not to spend too long on a single puzzle.!!!!

Escaped with 17 minutes left, and the prize was two yakgwa

Luckily, we only used two hints and escaped with over 17 minutes left out of the 60!! There were moments early on that felt really hard, so we were a bit worried whether we'd make it.

But when we actually checked the time, we were surprised how much was left lol. We used hints on the first puzzle and the seventh puzzle — two total. So as the prize for a two-hint escape, we got two yakgwa (traditional honey cookies). It's a small gift, but it felt like a real reward for escaping, and it honestly put a smile on my face!!

Cube Escape Hongdae Branch prices by group size

According to the on-site pricing sign, it's ₩45,000 for 2 people, ₩60,000 for 3, and ₩76,000 for 4 — and the per-person price drops a little as the group grows! Playing with more people would definitely speed up solving the puzzles and probably make it even more fun~!!

• ₩45,000 for 2 people
• ₩60,000 for 3 people
• ₩76,000 for 4 people

Is Pyramid's Secret a good indoor date in Hongdae?

If you're looking for a unique date idea in Hapjeong or Hongdae, I don't think there's a better option than an escape room. You can have fun indoors regardless of hot weather or rain, so it works any season, and it's a satisfying indoor date whether you go with friends, a partner, or family. If you're trying a Hongdae escape room for the first time, searching for a well-reviewed escape room café in Hongdae, curious about Hongdae escape room rankings, or looking for a theme recommendation —

'Pyramid's Secret' at Cube Escape Hongdae Branch, highly recommended!!