Code-K Hongdae Branch: KoreAura Flower Path Review
Review of Code-K Hongdae's KoreAura Flower Path Theme
Finally visited KoreAura, a theme released in 2022 that many people consider their all-time favorite!
It's located in the Hongdae area, but it's actually closest to Sangsu Station!
Hongdae-Sangsu-Hapjeong is known for its concentration of delicious ramen restaurants, so I shamefully went to eat ramen before going... felt a bit sorry.
Code-K Hongdae only has the KoreAura theme.
Reservations seem to open up to 30 days in advance.
I was planning to go as a second consecutive game after another escape room, and the timing happened to work out perfectly, so I booked it right away.
If they're using an entire floor for a single theme, how big could the volume be...? I went with high expectations.
And you should definitely have high expectations! Even though Code-K KoreAura is said to be an amazing theme, you can't ignore the three years that have passed since its release in 2022.
Unlike the latest escape rooms these days, some of the puzzles were a bit worn.
I loved how spacious the lobby was.
It's ₩28,000 per person. They don't have a dedicated account for deposits, so only cash is accepted, but there's a cash discount making it ₩26,000.
I forgot to bring cash and was in tears over the missed discount...
The scenario:
It's 2022, and Korea is currently under Japanese colonial rule.
We are living a difficult life, facing the contempt and discrimination of the Japanese every day.
About a year after my mother passed away, I received a text message.
"Hello, my name is Nam Ja-hyeon. I need the necklace that your mother (Ahn Yun-bok) left for her children. I'll be waiting at table number 2 at the Asia Mix bar in Hongdae-ku tomorrow at 10 PM."
Suddenly, I remembered that day a year ago.
My mother came home in a hurry and handed me the necklace, saying,
"If my friend asks for this necklace, remember and give it to them."
And the next day, my mother passed away in a hit-and-run accident.
Those words became my mother's last will...
I have to deliver the necklace tomorrow!
Still under Japanese colonial rule... what is going on?
If you have a good knowledge of modern Korean history, you'll probably see many familiar names of independence activists.
You'll also feel quite angry at times.
I imagined a setting similar to the movies 'Dongju,' 'The Age of Shadows,' 'Assassination,' or 'Hero.'
Thinking broadly, I predicted places like bars, independence activist headquarters, newspaper offices, bookstores, trains, and palaces.
But... completely different spaces appeared, which really surprised me.
The volume feels like the largest I've ever experienced in an escape room.
There were also quite a few moments where I thought, 'You can do this in an escape room?'
I can't say exactly where, but it was as physically active as jumping up and down to press a button on the ceiling.
No short skirts.
No long skirts either... even shorts might be uncomfortable.
I'm an extreme scaredy-cat. Even my very timid friend said, "I've never seen anyone more scared than you."
I screamed about twice and covered my ears and closed my eyes in some sections.
I see the official fear rating on the website is 20%.
But... it's still a flower path theme that you should do even if you have to bear that in mind.
The official website says the ratio is 8:2 for devices vs. locks, which seems accurate.
I don't remember solving many locks.
Since there were many devices I'd never seen before, the sensitivity of the devices was quite important. Luckily, our youngest member triggered a few by accidentally bumping into them while backing away.
The volume is large, and there were quite a few problems that were difficult (physically) to solve alone, so I recommend a team of 3.
If you're super skilled or have a great memory, 2 people might be possible, but we weren't.
They provide unlimited hints via a hint pad.
At Code-K Hongdae KoreAura, be sure to see the ending, even if you have to use all the hints.
4.3/5
As I mentioned earlier, there were a couple of somewhat repetitive puzzles from that era, where we were like, "Oh, we know how to solve this anyway, let's just use a hint."
There were also 1-2 puzzles that we genuinely couldn't figure out, so we used hints. One was a type I'd never seen before, but it wasn't out of place and fit well with the story.
Solving the puzzles even fueled more anger lol.
I tend to shut down when the lighting is dim, so I was mostly covering my ears and closing my eyes towards the end, but we still had some time left.
Grateful to my companions who came with me.
I heard people said they cried at the last scene, but I'm a total "T" (thinking type), so I thought, 'It's just a nationalistic theme lol, why would I cry?' But I was biting my lip to hold back tears.
They even print out a photo, which turned out better than I expected!
But why did I wear that outfit...? It was so hot that I wore the coolest thing I could find, but I shouldn't have done that.
* For the record, the two people in stripes aren't wearing matching outfits. I'm not being left out.
It was even more meaningful because it's almost Liberation Day.
This was Code-K Hongdae's KoreAura Flower Path theme.
Try it before it gets even older! ~
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