Escaping the Mystery Hotel

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When Han Kain woke up, he and several other people were inside a mysterious hotel with different rules and different expectations.

Going into each hotel room threw them into other worlds and scenarios where they must brace death at times to escape or lift the curse of the individual rooms for a chance to bring everyone that died during the process back to life.

Using their blessings that were given at the time of entry, they have to weave their way through the rooms while sometimes sacrificing themselves for a higher likelihood of success.

* Very little horror; more of a thriller

Associated Names
One entry per line
EMH
Secrets of Room 217
괴담 호텔 탈출기
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
Apartment From Hell (1)
Ghost Story Club (1)
Ten Day Ultimatum (1)
It’s Him (1)
Hourglass Project (1)
Recommendation Lists
  1. Books That Will Stay With Me Forever
  2. Good novels I did not cry to
  3. Peak novel
  4. Good novels qith 4 or 4+ rates
  5. not the typical korean novels

Latest Release

Date Group Release
07/04/25 Genesis Studio c286
07/02/25 Genesis Studio c285
06/28/25 Genesis Studio c283
06/27/25 Genesis Studio c282
06/25/25 Genesis Studio c281
06/24/25 Genesis Studio c280
06/21/25 Genesis Studio c279
06/20/25 Genesis Studio c278
06/18/25 Genesis Studio c277
06/17/25 Genesis Studio c276
06/14/25 Genesis Studio c275
06/13/25 Genesis Studio c274
06/11/25 Genesis Studio c273
06/10/25 Genesis Studio c272
06/07/25 Genesis Studio c271
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20 Reviews sorted by


Kitsaws
New Kitsaws rated it
July 8, 2025
Status: c340
This is honestly one of the best novel/stories I have had a pleasure of reading in my life. There are only a few of the novels where each thing is implemented and written perfectly so much so that you forget you are even reading a novel.

Escaping The Mystery Hotel is one of such books. The start of the novel is awkward and our main character Han Kain is not overpowered and may even come off as a pushover in the beginning, however as the story progresses gradually every character, including... more>> main, side, fillers and even off-screen ones all play some sort of important role which is gradually discovered and found out over the course of the novel.

One of the best and unique thing about this novel is that every character has a very important role to play and the novel treats its main character with the same importance as it does to its side characters.

The power-scales are unreasonable but the implementation and the work done to solving the various crisis and tasks are very humane and done with wits and logic, not by over-relying on the plot armor and other cliche devices.

I will say this again but this novel is one of the best ones you can ever read and that from me is no exaggeration.

The only other novels which made me feel this strongly are Zaregoto Series, Mushoku Tensei, and LOTM. I will leave it at that. <<less
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MrScruffy
New MrScruffy rated it
June 16, 2025
Status: c275
I really appreciate the logic of this novel. Keep in mind that we're following the confused POVs of the participants, and very little is revealed to them at first. Some of the things that hawlol has mentioned are addressed as the novel progresses.

... more>>
Spoiler

The third room's sheer dumb luck-based solution is evaluated a few days later, where they conclude that there was an alternate, much simpler or perhaps more crude method, which they never got to figure out because of a participant's affinity with the "enemies".

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I don't think I'm far enough into the story to fully review the logic flow yet, but it has been a thoroughly enjoyable read so far along with excellent translation. I especially like the storytelling from side character POVs, which felt repetitive briefly but rapidly became a really important way to present facts of each room. <<less
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SassyCanoeWizard
SassyCanoeWizard rated it
November 27, 2022
Status: c26
An engaging read, if you are looking for a survival game story.

The current description is just two sentences and doesn't say much, so if it's not enough for you and you are still hesitating, here's my take on it.

A few people of different age groups and social statuses are stuck in a hotel. Their world was different from ours to begin with, some sort of anomalies taking place even before the hotel whisked our protagonist away. We follow a group that participates in bizarre and surreal scenarios. Each character possesses... more>> a power that might be handy, should they endeavor to survive.

Might be the best Korean novel of the year, at least for me. The writing style is vigorous and fresh, the translation is good as well. The story balances between dark scenes and upbeat, humorous ones. Even the hotel itself takes a positive stance, not recommending actions that would end up as a su*cide. Here is its 'welcome note':

"Welcome, esteemed guests, to Hotel Pioneer!

Ever since our establishment in 1847, Pioneer has a proud long history of being positively received by numerous guests with our countless mystiques and endless treasures. Of course, every treasure is bound to be followed by equal risk. We sincerely hope that our esteemed guests achieve the intended goal at Pioneer!

Now, it is time for your adventure." <<less
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rochmad7
rochmad7 rated it
November 14, 2022
Status: c19
The mystery aspect of this novel is really good. You can feel psychological horror in each scenario.

Every character has an important role and our MC doesn't always the one who solves the problems. Everyone is pretty much a normal person with normal psychology, who is afraid of being killed. Unlike Chen Ge (My House of Horrors) who's not afraid of anything haha

Overall, looks promising. Looking forward to seeing all scenarios.
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Sareza
Sareza rated it
October 8, 2023
Status: c75
Spoiler

Characters :

•Kain (Wisdom) -> Acquire knowledge that assist with survival at the hotel -> Enhancement 1 : Be able to see the locations of your party.

•Elena (Justice) -> Punishment to evil people. Only works at 'people' and is based on the right or wrong of the individual.

•Eunsol (Wealth) -> Access to HP Market and supplies.

•Jingchul (Courage) -> Physical Enhancement.

•Songee (Affinity) -> Creates an affinity towards beings of chaos. -&Gt; Enhancement 1 : Convey and realize the will of chaos entities

•Seungyub (Fortune) ->A periodic manifestation of luck. Will activate immediately after cooldown regardless of the will of the user. -&Gt;Enhancement 1 : Be able to see the cooldown of luck.

•Ahri (Allusion) -> Hypnosis of self and others. -&Gt;Ancient Blood Arts : Blood Control, Regeneration, Blood Buff Effects, Mental Resistance, Physical Strengthening, Healing Others, other various effects, etc.

Mooksung (Communication) -> Group Chat. Has limitations with words. A mental connection between participants.

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This is so underrated and a hidden gem, just a warning though, each floor is incredibly difficult
Spoiler

(like hella difficult, the first floor even wipes them all out and the third floor has aliens that can control minds and eldritch entites that control the whole human psyche)

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and most of the time only one person survives but they get revived later on if atleast one wins. And lastly the 'Main Protagonist' doesn't solve everything and each characters has a role to play in the story regardless of how much they performed before.

Firstly, let's discuss the setting, which initially resembles other K-Novels. The first episode may seem cliché, but it's just the beginning. Notably, all characters introduced in the early chapters form the Main Cast of the entire series. There are multiple 'Main Protagonists, ' each influential in their respective parts of the story. The first 'Main Protagonist' introduced is Dain, followed by Elena (?). Now, onto the characters – they possess diverse and very human-like personalities, each playing a crucial role. The story itself is compelling, with challenges on each floor akin to mystery solving. The first floor's mental-type challenge was exceptionally challenging. Each floor is thrilling, the story is falling more under the 'thriller' genre in the tags rather than 'horror'.

In summary, the novel is excellent, combining mystery and teamwork. Each character plays a vital role, and their interactions are highly engaging. While there are unresolved mysteries about the Hotel's existence, the story shows great potential from what I've read. I highly recommend giving it a try.
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YunanZekken
YunanZekken rated it
April 19, 2024
Status: c680
Group of people wake up in mysterious hotel, each person get a blessing with their respective advantages/disadvantage, there are multiple room that contain scenario for group to overcome.

The story does good job

-Making used of all characters and showing various perspective. It made very clear early on teamwork will be very important. Everyone get their own development and powerups.

-Answering question and introducing more question for the reader as the cast explore the hotel, rooms, and world the casts came from. Questions you may have the author will most likely answer it... more>> sooner or later and intend to build off of previous info. Things will eventually all come together. <<less
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NEUROPARASITUS
NEUROPARASITUS rated it
July 5, 2023
Status: c67
My impression is it's a really good read.

First off, each character including the MC has their own strength and weaknesses, so the MC is not always going to have the answers to the problem and be the hero of the day. Likewise, the other characters aren't simply fillers and have their own chance to shine and grow. It also properly shows how, step by step, the characters get used to each other, to the bewildering phenomena they are in and as well to the mysterious abilities they've been gifted. The... more>> suspense and thrill is there because the chance of failure and dying is always there, and so the fruits of the success would feel just as gratifying.

In terms of the world building, I myself have some questions about this mysterious hotel as well as the universe the characters are in. We don't get that much information from the start, but as the story goes and when a few key characters get introduced do we begin to see that their universe isn't as simple as it seems.

As for the actual story and plot, it makes use of interesting devices to drive the narrative and to keep you in suspense, befuddled by the mystery and surrealism. Admittedly, there was one arc where everything went over my head.

I've wanted to wait until it had a few hundred chapters under its belt to start reading, since I knew from my experience with the other novels translated by this translator, it was a 100% going to be something I'd enjoy. So I encourage you, who is currently unsure whether to read this work or not, to take a leap of faith and try. <<less
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ozyman
ozyman rated it
May 26, 2024
Status: c89
Fantastic series with great character dynamics, plot, and setting. Main character is very competent but still has to rely on his teammates in all of the challenges. Each challenge so far has been engaging with their scenarios and clear conditions.

Bit of a shame the translations are so behind the original but so far this is a must read.
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anonyzaki
anonyzaki rated it
April 21, 2024
Status: c78
Escaping the Mystery Hotel is a gripping and imaginative tale that seamlessly blends mystery, horror, and psychological thriller elements. The premise of being trapped in a supernatural hotel with deadly scenarios on each floor immediately hooks the reader.

What makes this novel truly shine is its fantastic ensemble cast. Rather than a single overpowered protagonist, we follow a diverse group of characters, each with their own unique abilities and flaws. Watching them learn to work together and leverage their respective strengths is highly compelling. Their relationships and character arcs feel organic... more>> and real.

The mystery and horror aspects are executed brilliantly. The challenges they face are bizarre, unsettling, and always keep you guessing. You're never quite sure what nightmarish trials await on the next floor. The sense of danger and high stakes ratchets up the tension effectively.

While the story can get a bit convoluted at times with all the strange phenomena, the author does a decent job of foreshadowing and leaving narrative breadcrumbs. You can feel an underlying method and logic to the hotel's madness slowly being unraveled.

My only minor gripe is that some point-of-view shifts between characters are a bit abrupt, briefly disrupting the narrative flow. But overall, this is an addictive, mind-bending read that thriller fans shouldn't miss. The novel skillfully blends genres into an engrossing, high-concept tale. <<less
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Epythymy
Epythymy rated it
May 1, 2023
Status: c64
A poor mix of infinity genre and mystery solving.

The idea is good and novel itself is pretty well written, but the execution is just plain awful more often than not.

Or maybe strange will be a better description?

... more>> Like the 3rd arc. It was a mix of sci-fi and some kind of cthulhu abominations. Just what in the actual fck is that?

Power balance is also non-existent in this novel, so lots of solutions to the mysteries look forced. It's okay when people progress only thanks to luck/coincidences/some extremely specific abilities once or twice but when it is like this all the time it is disappointing. Can't expect a lot from a confrontation between a group of mortals with only 1-2 special abilities and demigod level existences with all kinds of strange powers.

POV is always switching. It's a good and bad thing here. Protagonist is just a normal dude who fails easily but you're forced to see the same situation from a perspective of 3-4 characters at times. Teamwork is essential in this novel. Because of this the plot progression is rather slow.

All in all it is a rather unique read and that's the only thing that kept me going. Maybe it will be better in the future or maybe more strange sht like the 3rd arc will be introduced and it will be unreadable. <<less
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CapybarasOKIPULLUP
CapybarasOKIPULLUP rated it
January 6, 2024
Status: c70
What do you want from an MC?

An Overpowered person who solves issues through brute force? An apathetic person who only relies on himself and (with the help of plot armor) succeeds the trials he's presented with?

Well if so then this novel isn't for you. Han Kain is a realistic MC who uses logic and reasoning to face the trials of the hotel while still relying on his teammates when he makes a mistake. And yes he does make mistakes, a lot of them. That's what makes this horror novel interesting... more>> as we are reminded that this person isn't omnipotent instead he's just a college student trying to survive this hotel. The author also cleverly utilises 'show don't tell' with every room shrouded in mystery and death flags everywhere.

Side characters are also interesting. Each one gets their own character development and s0metimes outshine the MC. <<less
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hawlol
hawlol rated it
May 16, 2025
Status: c70
Overpraised novel, bogged down by dumb mysteries and plot armor.

Most characters, including the MC, are just plain incompetent, surviving the hotel through sheer luck/plot armor like having their cheat/gifts resolve the problem by simply being there. You could swap the character for a potato with said gift, and the result would be the same.

The conflicts are never resolved by the character's wit, strength or values as they should, instead just through 'coincidences'.

... more>>
Spoiler

First room they survive through because teenager was too adicted to League of legends and ignores the corrupted family the entire time. Everybody else died.

Second room they only survived because 2 NPCs were actualy hostage paranormal agents with high mental resistance and could break the hotel's control for short amounts of time, hence, giving the MC all the answers. Everyone else died, again.

Third room they become farm animals and only survive because one of the characters has affinity gift/cheat and tames the cthulu like entity, while everyone is sucking their own thumbs or making dumb decisions. Need I say more about a bunch on dumb deaths by the rest?

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Let me ask you: If you had to survive a hostile scenario every day under the threat of an even bigger threat, would you choose a new unknown threat every day or would you keep surviving an old scenario until you are forced to face another one?

Well, the dumb characters here chose a new unknown treat, every single time. They could just keep going back to the first room, or the second, until the hotel forced them to stop, or until they 100% the room and got it's treasure (therefore becoming stronger) and only then move foward, but that would be too logical for these dumb folk. They'd rather plunge into dangerous unknown even after surviving the previous room through sheer dumb luck and just one survivor.

Also, a good mystery must present you with clues to it's solution, allowing for readers to either see possible solutions beforehand or reason the solution presented by analyzing the previous clues. Here, there's none clue whatsoever for any possible solution. Either because the author is bad at writing mysteries or because he doesn't want anyone to realize the solution, while trying to force a surprise.

Even the second mystery, which was the least bad of the 3 I read, lacked any sort of clue about the killer. Instead of going "Aha!" while the MC solved the mystery, all I got myself thinking was "This is dumb and makes no sense."

This is another case of excessive number of 5 star reviews for a mediocre novel. If that was not the case I would give an extra point for originality. It's always good to read something different from the common power fantasy. Unfortunately, this is terrible.

Edit: Since there's another review attacking mine, here are some defense points:

Spoiler

First: There's a limit of 4 clearances per room. Hence why they can't repeat each room.

Sure, good reason, if it's true, but the novel didn't have that information before chapter 70, nor the characters knew that information before plunging into each new room unprepared and barely surviving the last one through sheer luck and overwhelming amount of deaths. For me to not call them dumb, they would have to have tried the first room again and the hotel warn them of the 4x rule, just like the hotel warned them that not challenging rooms would be met with dangerous encounters, like the pool monster. Also, the hotel had already warned them about a treasure in each room, which would be a proper reason for them to repeat it, aside from extra safety of challenging a known room.

Second: The MC wasn't given the answers at the second room.

They were in a haunted mansion. The Buttler and his assistant were paranormal agents disguised as NPCs. Both of them broke mind control and told the MC that the answer was in the old church. He just found that they meant the bell atop the church, which was used to solve the plot. The buttler found excuses to brind them there and even disapeared for hours to force the characters to investigate. The girl literally broke control and called one of the characters and idiot who was going to die and went to the basement to meet the 'devil' of the mansion at the end after talking with the MC about the entire plot. The buttler would have killed the MC because the NPC he was playing as was one of the culprits, but he broke control and jumped of a cliff instead of killing the MC.

Third: The goal of the third room was just to survive the farmers and the cthulu-like entity that according to the reviewer was an escaped convict.

Each character became and animal and would either be butchered by the farmers or the entity. They could talk because a new character had a chat group skill, which was too convenient, and the entity kept saving a character who became a duck, because she has the tame skill. There were no clues about the mission/reason for that room, which brings back to my critic of lack of foretelling or clues in each mystery. The characters are just moving aroung in the dark and end up winning by luck / plot armor. The third room was by far, the worst, and the one who made me drop the novel.

Fourth: the rooms are trials and each abitily a key to pass the trial. The hotel is actually a tower of trials.

There were clues to this fact, so unlike the 4 tries per room complaint, this is a proper point. But it doesn't contradict my complaint of: Characters should be more than their magical gimmick. They should surpass challenges using their wit, strength or values. Having a room being a lock and a magical skill being the direct key is boring and bad writing. Luffy from one piece is a great character because not only he finds new ways to use an allegedly bellow average skill and brawl with stronger ability users, but also has a determined personality who refuses to back down in face of greater powers. That's how he solved several plots points in One Piece, by courage in face of adversity and wit while using his rubber powers. Here the characters are so useless they barely explore their own powers and use them without knowing, like the girl in the third room, who was the target of "You could change her for a potato with the gift and the result would be the same".

So That's it for the defense. Hope it can solve any doubts. But if you still think his points has any seamblance of reason, just read the novel. That's the best way to solve any doubts! Cheers and happy reading!

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<<less
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LysUltima
LysUltima rated it
February 5, 2025
Status: c9
I felt like I was getting brain damage reading this novel.

I picked this up because it has the thriller tag - it's not a thriller in the least. There's no danger, there's no suspense, and there's no purpose. Dan Brown, the author of the Da Vinci code, states that there's 3 elements that must be in a thriller: a mystery, a time pressure, and obstacles that throw the protagonist into despair. The mystery is largely avoided by having the protagonist simply being told the answers all the time, there is... more>> no time pressure nine chapters in, and there's no real obstacles because the protagonists just cheat out of them.

Also, the protagonists have the intelligence of a slime. If I wanted to read s*upid things with zero sense or logic, I'd go to a YouTube comment section because at least it's funny. Reading this was just a waste of time, and I lost a few braincells along the way.

Save your sense of sanity and never touch this novel if you're a fan of thrillers. There are so many good ones out there, and none of them are written by this author. <<less
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DonKrigg
DonKrigg rated it
May 7, 2024
Status: c168
Awesome story, I've had lots of fun reading it. This is one of the few stories that actually develops each and everyone of the main cast.

Only fault would be that the translation is slow and that gaining access to the raw (680+ ch) is damn near impossible.
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AAA-BBB-CCC
AAA-BBB-CCC rated it
April 10, 2024
Status: c600
a very engaging read. Every scenario has a unique solution and the fun is seeing the characters find that solution. Most of the time the characters don’t find the perfect solution, and sometimes they even fail. Every mistake they make feels realistic and when there’s a moment of genius it feels earned and not an asspull. Personally the peak arcs for me were the “Lord” arc and the “Adravita” arc. The enemies in these arcs felt like a real threat because they were aware of the mechanics of the hotel,... more>> and when our party finally defeated them it felt so hype. <<less
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Dokavi
Dokavi rated it
May 20, 2025
Status: c810
The level of horror in this novel is equal to or even less than LOTM, so you don't need to worry if you are averse of that. Great translation from genesis studio team.

Good and unique power system that was based on items and contributions that comes with risk. A mystery fantasy fusion with cosmic horror. The main character start off as a normal person, but as the danger approaches he force himself to took the initiative to solved the challenges and mystery. Combined with the power system this is a great progression fantasy. Power and transcendence is a big temptation in the novel, but not the most important thing.

A lot of the so called "problem" some review have here was explained and addressed later on in the novel. If you have read LOTM you will understand that the review before a certain point usually is not credible. The main theme of the novel, eventhough it has been hinted early on; does not fully reveal itself until way later in. ~Chapter 600

Spoiler

This novel is about salvation and wish. The one who weeps over 3000 great thousands worlds loves everyone, therefore loves no one. He is the kindest of all, and also the harshest if all. Salvation can only be claimed by oneself. Those who wish for a chance against the cruel reality was granted the chance to go through the trial of hell, only if they overcome their trial do they gained the power to extend their salvation to others.

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One thing I am worry about this type of novel is that it can get way too meandering and convoluted later on as we expand the settings and the scale of problems. Very few novel achieve this, but this one actually does. Thankfully even after 650 (810 now) chapters it is still concise and clear.
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KryFaster25
KryFaster25 rated it
November 1, 2024
Status: c13
For now 3 stars as only the traslation is good.

The MC is really s*upid and naive, and the rest of the characters are not better off. They are just going with the flow without doing anything at all, like bro, you just got transported to a f*cking hotel that gives you special blessings, there are various points that shows just how the characters are not serious enough about anything.

... more>>
Spoiler

For example when they exit de room 101 instead of confronting the mistake they just shut up and ignore it? I can't undestarnd how they can gloss over something as important as that, moreover they are suposed to get things when completing a room but the autor didn't metion anything? Do they need to survive all ? I don't know because I'm already thinking of dropping this.

There is also the point of going to the reacreation zone, the basement, an instead of looking carefully around it you just go on your own way? Are they nuts? Even more gravely is the mistake of not paying atention to the hotel notifications, it's like the author just want to make the situation worse on purpose.

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In conclusion, if you are able to read past the incredible naive and s*upid characters that don't have any reason (Like the other reviews says they are normal people with normal psicology, I'm only seing empy vessels moving as the author likes), them maybe you will be able to read the novel, the ambientation has some potential but I wouldn't put my faith in it as far as I had read (There really isn't any sense of mistery or terror at all).

pd:If you don't like memory loss or mental manipulation tropes don't read it, they are f*cking everywhere it this novel (I hate them). <<less
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BlackHans
BlackHans rated it
July 11, 2023
Status: c68
World building and the horror itself is decent. Specifically, each character has a chance to shine which makes this novel above average.

Read this if you want a character/s with a brain but mediocre horror aspects since it is not scary for me after all. (Idk if it is due to other horror novels I already read.)
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TaFlash
TaFlash rated it
April 4, 2025
Status: c827
Character development is on point. All main characters feel human. It isn’t a one man show.

The overall premise is that a few people, all main characters are transported into a hotel, with many secrets. They are forced to go through the various rooms in this hate to escape.

So far, The group is on the 3rd floor, 3rd room. The mystery aspects are prevalent, with every single one of the characters holding on to some secret, even if, unaware of it.
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Kleini
Kleini rated it
November 10, 2023
Status: c59
Escaping the Mystery Hotel offers an intriguing premise that combines mystery and survival horror genres. The story follows a group trapped in a strange hotel where they must overcome challenging scenarios on each floor in order to escape.

While the novel starts off feeling similar to other Korean survival games, it quickly distinguishes itself by having multiple main characters rather than just one hero. The diverse cast with different strengths and weaknesses must work together to solve the mysteries. This creates an engaging dynamic where anyone can contribute something valuable.

The thrilling... more>> challenges on each floor add a lot of suspense and excitement. Whether it's a mental puzzle or a dangerous confrontation, failure always feels imminent. Solving each mystery provides a great sense of accomplishment.

That being said, some scenarios can feel too bizarre or inexplicable even for a supernatural hotel setting. A few plot twists venture into almost incoherent sci-fi or fantasy territory. This damages the immersion at times.

The pacing also suffers occasionally when the point of view switches between too many characters across short intervals. It disrupts the flow.

Overall though, Escaping the Mystery Hotel stands out for its team survival concept and adrenaline-fueled challenges. Watching the characters progressively learn to cooperate is rewarding. Fans of eerie mysteries and survival games should find the premise compelling enough to give this one a read. <<less
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