In Gangnam Escape Room Cafe Zero World, there is a theme called "Ring, Call, Po" which is based on the three chapters of horror. It's named so because the themes are Ring, Call, and Forest, and I finally got to play the Forest theme, which I was most curious about.
Forest is one of those themes where you have to book after work, but I was lucky enough to get a reservation when an opening came up. I was originally planning on playing with two people, as I always do... but when I looked up the reviews, I saw that it's most fun with four people, and the one thing that stood out to me more than anything else was that "if you're going to play with two people, you both have to be tanks."
My partner is fearless (=tang), even when playing horror themed games, but I'm very fearful and imaginative (=zol), so when I get scared, I freeze in place, unable to open my eyes. Since I'm paying for it, I want to see the ending unconditionally, but I was worried when I heard that there might be a section where you can't advance any further if you have a tang1 zol1 configuration, apart from the abundance of hints, so I decided to get a group of people from Naver Cafe for the first time.
I thought, "What if I don't get hired because it's a same-day job?" But my worries didn't last long, and I got hired within a minute of posting! So I started working on the Forest theme with people I hadn't met before. (I was very happy with the outcome + I've since worked on the Zero theme as well).
Introducing ZeroWorld
Zero-world concept
Zero World is an escape room cafe filled with realistic interiors, novel gadgets, fresh challenges, and exciting stories from professional writers. There are several branches in the Seoul metropolitan area, including Gimpo Main Branch, Hongdae Branch, Lotte World Branch, and Seohyeon Branch. I visited the Gangnam branch, which has a total of nine themes: Hull, Forest, DONE, Zero Hotel L, I Am, Midwinter Night 2, Caller, Butterfly Effect, and Ring.
Zero-world location
ZeroWorld Gangnam is located between Exit 10 of Gangnam Station and Exit 7 of Sinnonhyeon Station. I personally love it because it's so close to my house and his work. It's a... 3 minute walk, which is something I always feel, but I live in a neighborhood that's optimized for hanging out. (And the prices are crazy... 🫠)
Introducing the FORREST theme
About Play
Genre: Horror / Challenge
- ZeroWorld Official Website
Price: KRW 54,000 for 2 people / KRW 75,000 for 3 people / KRW 92,000 for 4 people
Time: 75 minutes
Fear Index: 4.5
Difficulty : ★★★★☆
Theme synopsis
The 'Show dawn' invitation has arrived.
- ZeroWorld Official Website
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Can you handle it?
Before entering, I tried to guess the content based on the poster and synopsis, but I had no idea how horror would be presented in a horror quiz show with a cash prize, and I wondered if I would have the courage to participate in such a quiz show if someone told me I could win 5 billion. Before playing, I was like "let's see what I can do", but after escaping, it turned into "I can't do it even if you give me 10 billion, not 5 billion" -_-;
ZeroWorld provides cell phones and walkie-talkies for hints, and this theme has a brief description before you start, as well as role assignment cards. To say more about the requirements would be a spoiler, so that's it! Play it yourself if you're curious!
Escape Room Reviews
Player Information
4 Player - Tang 2 / Zool 2
I think the best way to maximize the fun of an escape room is to play with as few people as possible, and with this theme, I'd recommend 4 players, but if 4 is too much for you, you can play with 3... not because it's hard, but because you'll have more fun with the story. The space isn't huge, but it's still big enough for 4 players. Let's go!
It's unrelated to the game, but to explain a bit more... The people who decided to play with us said they worked at a company in Bundang. Their nicknames were Mukbapnim and Jungnam (we don't know their real names...) and they had the same tang1 jol1 configuration as us. As a result, they were the perfect combination of a tough tang2 and a jol2 who breaks down when scared.
Difficulty Level
★★★★☆
I thought the difficulty level was pretty high. Comparing it to the Black House in Zero World Nirvana, I failed with 99% progress with two people, but Forrest had four people and used a lot of hints, and I don't think I would have succeeded if I only had to use three hints.
Problems that would have been easy if it weren't for the horror theme were made more difficult by the eerie atmosphere and the fact that you never know when or where something is going to jump out at you... It made me stop thinking. (I was like a scarecrow screaming...) It's also a theme where you can't really mix it up, not because of the scares, but because of the physics. You can play 2 player, but if one of you is a jerk, you'll have a hard time progressing.
Activity
★☆☆☆☆
Very little activity, just a good walk. I wore a shortskirt that was almost ankle length and had no difficulty at all, but if your bottoms are too short, you may find it uncomfortable in some situations.
Fear
★★★★☆
I knew that ZeroWorld was originally known for its horror theme, but it really lives up to its name. It's scary as hell. The theme has an overall low-light feel to it, which makes it even scarier. The sound is also eerie, leaving you in a state of panic afterwards, not knowing if the screams are coming from our room or the next room.
Device Ratio
Lock: Device - 6: 4
There were more locks than gadgets, but it didn't feel like a puzzle room because you weren't just solving locks and moving forward, but there were gadgets mixed in, and you could see the scenery, so it didn't feel like a puzzle room. And there were a few gadgets that weren't essential to the story, but were more immersive and made you feel like you were in the real world. I felt like there was a lot of attention to detail in the horror elements, which is typical for a zero-world.
Interior
★★★★★
The interiors were just crazy, and I was like, "Wow, how did they do that?" in every space. I thought before I went in that it wasn't a newly opened theme, so there would be a certain amount of deterioration, but it didn't matter. I'm not going to mention the detailed concept or background because it would be a spoiler, but if you think of the ZeroWorld poster... you can think of it as just going into that image.
Stories
★★★☆☆
It's a complicated story, so you have to figure out cause and effect, and it's not quite there, but it's there. It's not just scary, it's got a pretty clear message that it's trying to convey, and I liked that. It's not for people who need a great story and emotional impact, but... you're probably not looking for that in a horror theme, right?
Final evaluation
Dirt - Grass - "Flower Road" - Life themes
This is the second horror theme I've played in ZeroWorld after The Black House in Seohyeonjang, and I was pleased with the quality of the various devices, interiors, and story settings. I'll definitely be checking out all of their other themes when I get a chance.
Forest is a really well done escape room horror theme, and if you're playing it this summer, it's sure to keep you cool for at least a few days. I highly recommend it.
English 
Korean
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