Asylum horror escape room in Hongdae with 4 hints: Cube Escape

Today's story is about Cube Escape Hongdae Branch, an escape room café I visited with a friend while looking for something different to do in Hongdae. It's well known as an indoor date idea and a quirky thing to do in Hongdae, and it's nice and cool inside, so I went to check it out.

Where is Cube Escape Hongdae Branch?

Cube Escape Hongdae Branch is an escape room café near Hongik Univ. Station, on the 4th floor of the Mugwang Building at 15 Yanghwa-ro 16-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul.

It's a reasonable walking distance from Hongik Univ. Station, so it was easy to meet up there. There's a Harmony Mart on the 1st floor of the building, so if it's your first time, just look for Harmony Mart and you'll find it much more easily.

Inside Cube Escape Hongdae Branch and what to do before you start

It's on the 4th floor of the Mugwang Building, so when you ride the elevator up, you step right out into an entrance that already feels like an escape room.

I went on a weekday afternoon, and it was so hot that day that there was nobody there... Apparently it's usually super popular and packed with people, haha. Lucky me!

We booked the Monkey House theme in advance. They sent a text beforehand asking us to arrive 10 minutes before our time so we could hear the explanation. Just put your things in the storage box, sit down, listen carefully to the staff's briefing, and head in. There are lockers in the waiting area too, so I could leave my bag and phone and go in comfortably.

Which theme to pick at Cube Escape Hongdae: how scary is Monkey House?

Cube Escape Hongdae Branch has all kinds of themes: no-horror ones, horror ones, story-focused ones and high-difficulty ones. So whether you're a beginner or a seasoned escape room fan, you can pick to suit your taste.

The main themes included Pyramid's Secret, Monkey House, Hansel and Gretel, Organ Trafficking, Gestapo, Towering and more. I chose Monkey House.

Monkey House is an asylum-concept horror theme, listed as relatively easy, with a 60-minute time limit. I was nervous because people said it was really scary, but I'm a scaredy-cat who can't even watch horror movies, and it wasn't that scary, so don't worry!!

How much does Cube Escape Hongdae Branch cost?

At Cube Escape Hongdae Branch, the price per person depends on the group size. The more people you have, the slightly cheaper it gets per person.

• 2 people: ₩22,500 per person
• 3 people: ₩20,000 per person
• 4 people: ₩19,000 per person
• 5 or more: ₩18,000 per person
• Groups of 15 or more: varies

How our Monkey House escape went

Before going in, it's listening time! The staff at Cube Escape Hongdae Branch explain how to use the locks, how to use the notes, and what to watch out for.

So nervous

Monkey House story and scare level (spoilers)

Skip this if you hate spoilers!! In the Monkey House I played, you lose your memory and find yourself locked in an asylum-like space, and you have to find clues in the rooms to escape. From the moment I walked in, the mood was dark and had that eerie asylum feeling, so I was a little tense.

Monkey House is less about ghosts jumping out at you and more about pressure from the atmosphere, the sounds and the dark lighting. I'm not great at horror escape rooms, so I was a bit scared even before going in, but once I actually did it, it wasn't so scary that I couldn't handle it.

Monkey House difficulty and how we used all 4 hints

You can use up to 4 hints in Monkey House. The puzzles were at a level beginners can handle: not tangled and complicated, but the kind you solve by observing the room carefully and connecting the clues.

In the end I used all 4 hints and escaped, haha. They even gave us a snack to celebrate escaping.

Final verdict on Cube Escape Hongdae Branch and Monkey House

Cube Escape Hongdae Branch was a good pick for anyone looking for a different indoor activity in Hongdae. I played Monkey House and barely got out after using 4 hints, but working our brains and hunting for clues together with my friend was fun.

If you're looking for an escape room, an indoor date or something unusual to do in Hongdae, it's worth a visit. When the usual meal-then-café routine gets boring, it's a good place to slot into a Hongdae date.