Mystery Mansion: DTF: Drag Task Force review

This was the first time I’d played a game with this theming and idea. After being let into the Zoom room, there were a couple of bios to brief us on the mission. We were hired to get back the powers for DTF by solving puzzles etc. What was interesting is you actually play through the host who we could control during the game. They would move forward, search coats and input codes based on our instructions. This game is full of sass and in some cases a little on the raunchy side. I found the sassier we were with the host, the more fun was had. I don’t recommend this for young players!

Once we advanced through the challenge, it was clear that all the puzzles linked up to the theme. The room was decorated with glitter and feathers, and each puzzle linked back to the missing powers of the DTF. Whilst our host Owen did a great job talking with us throughout, not playing the game physically yourself does reduce some of the immersive experience.

I was attracted to this live avatar online experience by its unique drag-based premise. Our host played the part of sassy robot drag queen FloBot. He was excellent in this role, in character with a robotic voice throughout. Expect some innuendo, puns, swearing and insults. These are all in good nature though, and we’re asked beforehand if we’d rather he toned it down.

We talk via Zoom, where we see a live stream of the room and his hands, and view additional content via the web platform Telescape. This allowed us to individually watch videos, interact with puzzles and access 360 degree views of the rooms. Our mouse movements and key presses are tracked so we can see what each other is doing, which I really liked. The physical rooms are visually stimulating with lots of lights, colours and items. They aren’t the highest quality, but portray the theme well. The live stream got cut a couple of times whilst our host did something, which broke the flow slightly.

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This game is all about the sass and experience with the characters you meet through videos and the way you control your host. I feel the puzzles weren’t that mind-blowing, they were just standard escape room puzzles. If we played this room in person I feel we would have got fed up with all the padlocks! However it seemed to be more fun using the host to explore. The puzzles weren’t particularly difficult, they did however go well with the theme. I did particularly like having to use Alexa for a challenge!

The puzzles were a standard affair, but with a couple of surprises. They were incorporated into the drag theme very well. We were allowed unlimited hints without any penalty, and needed a couple of pointers along the way. Tasks included observation, information gathering, pattern recognition and more. Instead of just telling our host what to do, sometimes we needed to get involved ourselves, which added some variety to proceedings. There were both traditional locks as well as more modern ways of opening spaces like with electromagnets. Overall, the logic was good and there was quite a bit of variety to the puzzles.

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This was a really fun game to play. We loved the sass, the raunchiness and the odd offensive word. Don’t worry, she does ask what level of gameplay you want at the beginning in terms of the comments you may get. I recommend having a couple of beers/cocktails whilst playing to increase the humour. I really liked getting to control the host during the game, particularly when we had to add the sass to get her to work better, harder.

With the drag theme, I expected a fun-filled time, and I wasn’t disappointed! Our host Owen was brilliant. His acting was on point and he was obviously very passionate about his job. Mystery Mansion have created a light-hearted online escape room that is perfect for those that like a laugh and a bit of adult humour whilst solving logic puzzles. It works best when you get involved in the story and don’t hold back if you’re asked to do anything!

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At roughly £15 a ticket, which includes a donation to Lulu’s Lodge charity, this game is definitely value for money. We spent 75 minutes laughing throughout so what more could you want! The only slight let-down was the amount of padlocks you needed to crack. If you’re lucky, you may get to see out the windows of the room too!

The price converts to just over £15 per person at time of writing, which for a 75 minute live experience is great value. Plus, around £3 of this goes to Lulu’s Lodge which is a non-profit LGBT homeless shelter for the local community. Mystery Mansion is a physical escape room company in Canada, but Drag Task Force is online-only. I am waving the rainbow flag for this fun-filled room that stands out from the crowd with its drag theme. Have a few pre-drinks and enjoy playing this with your friends, whether you’re physically together or not.

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