The game consists of simple and bizarre challenges, ostensibly set to the contestants by Davies in his role as the Taskmaster, with assistance provided by Horne. The tasks – usually performed in isolation, but occasionally in teams – are designed to encourage the players to think laterally and creatively to complete the task.

Each episode starts with the Prize Task, in which each contestant brings in a prize following a given theme (for example, the contestant’s most unusual item; their most treasured item; their trendiest item of clothing; etc.). The prizes are all awarded to the winner of that episode.

Three or four pre-recorded tasks follow, usually taking place in and around the Taskmaster house, a former groundskeepers’ cottage located on the outskirts of a golf course in Dukes Meadows, Chiswick

Tasks are delivered to the players in an envelope with a wax seal, which the player reads aloud. Examples of past tasks include “Completely empty this bathtub – fastest wins”, “Impress this mayor – you have 20 minutes”, and “Throw a teabag into a mug from the furthest distance. You have exactly 1 hour.” After the tasks are shown to the audience, the players justify their creative methods and argue to Davies – and among themselves – as to why they did best. After all the attempts at the task have been seen, judgement is passed by Davies and points are awarded (or players disqualified) accordingly. Normally the winner of the task gets five points, with second place score four points and so on. Some episodes feature team tasks, in which one group of two contestants and a second group of three contestants work together. The groups remain the same throughout each series. Generally, five points are split between the teams, with each member getting the same number.

The final challenge is performed live in the studio. In the event of a tie, the winner is decided by a special tie-breaker task, which may either be pre-recorded or performed live.

In addition to the prizes for each episode, at the end of each series a trophy is presented to the contestant who has scored the most points over the course of the entire series. From the second series onward, the trophy took the form of a golden bust of Davies.