Hong Kong does not have many places where you can live out a zombie outbreak. There are zombie films, zombie games on your sofa, and one 5,500 square foot venue in Kwun Tong where the outbreak has already happened and you are standing inside it.
The Zombie Lab is our sci-fi horror escape room, and questions about it fill our inbox: how scary is it, can a nervous friend cope, how many people should come. So here is the full survival guide, written by the people who watch teams survive (and dramatically fail) in there every day.
The mission
The setup: a research lab working on the zombie virus has been overrun, and the quarantine holds for exactly 60 minutes. Your team enters as the last scientists able to synthesize the antidote. Find the research, crack the lab’s systems, mix the cure, and get out before the infected overwhelm what is left of the facility. Everyone plays a scientist with a job to do, which is why this room works so well for teams: there is always another sample to analyse, another lock between you and the formula.
How scary is it, honestly?
Medium, and we mean that precisely. The Zombie Lab earns its tension from the set, the sound design and that countdown, not from cheap tricks. It is creepier than our adventure rooms, and clearly gentler than Zodiac Killer or The Other Side, which are the rooms we point real horror fans toward. Most groups describe it afterwards as exciting rather than terrifying, and the scare fades fast once the puzzles take over your brain, which takes roughly ninety seconds. To answer the question we get asked most: there are no live actors in any of our rooms and nobody touches you. The jump scares come from the room itself.
Quick facts
| Players | 2 to 8 per game |
| Game time | 60 minutes (allow 90 at the venue) |
| Difficulty | 4 out of 5. Brains matter more than bravery |
| Scare level | Creepy and tense, not a haunted house |
| Recommended age | 12 and up for the full effect |
| Price | From $240 per person |
| Location | Eastcore, 398 Kwun Tong Road, 2 minutes from Kwun Tong MTR |
Five survival tips (no spoilers)
First, actually listen to the briefing; half the teams that struggle missed something we told them at the door. Second, split up inside the room: parallel work beats a huddle around one puzzle. Third, say everything you find out loud, because the clue in your hand is usually the answer to what your teammate is holding. Fourth, keep an eye on the clock and move on when something stalls; the room rewards momentum. Fifth, take the hint when the Game Master offers one. Pride has infected more teams than the virus ever did.
For the zombie completists
If one outbreak is not enough, VR venues in town run zombie shooting missions, and every autumn the theme parks roll out their seasonal haunted attractions. The difference is that those are seasonal or squad-limited, while the lab is open year round, takes 2 to 8 players, and pits you against the virus with your own brain rather than a plastic gun. Thrill-seeking couples: this room is also on our date night list, for reasons involving hand holding.
Think your team survives? Read the room details or go straight to booking. The quarantine timer starts when you do.
Frequently asked questions
How scary is the Zombie Lab really?
Honest answer: it sits in the middle of our scare scale. The lab is dark, the soundtrack is tense and the theme is an outbreak, but it is a puzzle race, not a haunted house. If you want real fear, Zodiac Killer and The Other Side are our horror rooms. If you want zero scare, The Bunker and Wild West Saloon are the safe picks. Either way, no live actors and nobody touches you; the room supplies its own jump scares.
Can kids play the Zombie Lab?
We recommend 12 and up for this room; younger players can find the theme intense. For kids under 12, four of our rooms are properly kid friendly: Life Sentence, Wild West Saloon, Mastermind Heist and The Bunker, and our Game Masters soften the difficulty for young teams.
How many players is best for the Zombie Lab?
Three to five is the sweet spot: enough hands to work in parallel, small enough that everyone stays busy. Two players is absolutely doable and plays harder, which some duos love. The room takes up to 8.
What should we wear?
Normal comfortable clothes and shoes you can move in. The lab is fully air conditioned, there is no crawling required, and lockers hold your bags. Come as you are, leave as a survivor.