Smash melons and tidy rubber ducks in VR!

By Matt Poskitt

Published: Wednesday, 29 November 2023 at 09:00 AM


“Win the trophy and lose your dignity,” is the slogan of a new Taskmaster VR game, which will give fans the chance to live out some of the wackiest tasks to ever appear in the hit British comedy panel show.

Scallywag Arcade, a new indie studio based in Liverpool, is heading up development and will partner with Taskmaster production company Avalon to make the game come to life. Much of the Scallywag Arcade team is said to be made up of industry veterans from PlayStation, Warner Bros, Merge Games, Aardma and Just Add Water.

“The world of Taskmaster is perfect for VR,” according to Scallywag Arcade head of games Niall Taylor. He added: “Combining the hilarity of the show with the freedom of virtual reality gives players an immersive (and slightly mad) experience.”

Acting as a contestant, players will take part in chaotic mini-games and puzzles all surrounding some comedy elements. They will then open themselves up to the judgement of Taskmaster host Greg Davies and his assistant (little) Alex Horne.

“Genuinely, this is extraordinary, brilliant and very fun,” said Alex Horne, who also created the show.

“Also, I’ve always wanted to be a contestant on Taskmaster so this is great for me as a VR user, except that I will also have my virtual self watching my attempts and undermining my confidence so I may well regret the whole venture after I’ve had a go.”

Fan-favourite games like smashing watermelons and tidying rubber ducks will appear, alongside making the Taskmaster a sandwich and experiencing what is described as the “most chaotic bath VR” has ever seen. The iconic Taskmaster house will, naturally, play a big part with both the lab, caravan and garden set to feature.

Smashing watermelons in Taskmaster VR
Taskmaster VR.
Scallywag Arcade

Upon the announcement, Davies added: “The team have done an incredible job and the game is a really exciting addition to the Taskmaster world. On a personal note, the creation of a virtual reality Taskmaster takes me ever closer to my ultimate goal of working without even leaving my sofa.”

Taskmaster was first launched in July 2015 on Dave before being acquired by Channel 4 in November 2019. 16 seasons and five specials have aired so far with the comedy show earning the Best Entertainment Programme at the Broadcast Awards 2018.

Taskmaster VR is scheduled to launch sometime in 2024 across Meta Quest and Steam VR. We have a sneaky feeling it might launch alongside Taskmaster season 17 in early 2024. However, that’s purely guesswork on our part.

Thinking of picking up a VR Headset? Read up on our thoughts on the Meta Quest 2 as well as the best VR games to play in 2023 and the best VR experiences to visit in London.