You’re wandering through the pristine, blood-soaked streets of Bel-Air, and honestly, the last thing you expect is to become a high-end delivery driver for a washed-up movie star. But that’s exactly what happens. Creature Comforts in Dead Island 2 isn't just another filler quest; it’s a weirdly specific scavenger hunt that forces you to raid some of the most dangerous mansions in Hell-A for the sake of top-shelf booze and expensive snacks.
Curtis Sinclair is the guy behind it. You probably met him earlier when you saved his aged, grumpy soul from a horde of walkers on his front lawn. Now, he’s chilling at Emma Jaunt’s place, and apparently, the apocalypse isn't an excuse for poor taste. He wants his vintage wine and his fancy cigars. It sounds simple enough until you realize you have to break into the Goat Pen and Colt Swanson’s place—two locations that are basically magnets for every Screamer and Butcher in the zip code.
Why This Quest Matters More Than You Think
Most players treat side quests as a way to kill time between main story beats, but ignoring this one is a mistake. Why? Because the rewards actually help your build. You aren't just doing this for the XP. You get a legendary-tier weapon (well, a very good Rare one early on) and access to Curtis's gratitude, which pays off later.
The quest triggers after you’ve finished the "Deserted" main mission and returned to Bel-Air. If you haven't seen the icon pop up over Curtis at Emma's mansion, you might need to progress just a tiny bit further or check if you've actually finished his initial recruitment quest, "Death of the Party." If you missed that one, he’s likely still sitting on his balcony shooting zombies like it's a carnival game. Go save him first.
The Hunt for the 18-Year-Old Whiskey
First on the list: the Goat Pen. If you’ve spent any time in Dead Island 2, you know this house. It’s the obnoxious "influencer" mansion filled with neon signs, gaming chairs, and way too many glass walls.
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Curtis wants his specific whiskey. You’ll find it in the master bedroom, but there’s a catch. The door is locked. You can’t just kick it down. Well, you can, but it’s easier to go around the side. Head to the outdoor balcony area. You’ll see a glass railing. If you look closely, you can actually jump across or smash the window to gain entry to the private living quarters.
Inside, you're looking for the Goat Pen Master Keys. They are usually sitting on the bedside table or near the vanity. Once you have those, the world is your oyster—or at least, the liquor cabinet is. The whiskey is prominently displayed. Grab it. But don't think you're getting out clean. Picking up quest items in this game is like ringing a dinner bell for the undead. Be ready for a few "uninvited guests" to burst through the doors the moment your fingers touch the bottle.
Tracking Down the Cigars at Colt Swanson’s
Colt Swanson’s mansion is a different beast entirely. It’s more "old money" than the Goat Pen's "crypto bro" aesthetic. You’re looking for a specific brand of cigars.
The cigars are located in the back office area, but the house is a maze of security alarms. Pro tip: bring a weapon with electricity or just a standard firearm to take out the alarm boxes before you start swinging. If you trip the alarm, you're going to have a bad time.
You’ll find the cigars in a display case. Unlike the whiskey, the challenge here isn't just finding the item; it’s surviving the cramped hallways. If a Crusher spawns in those corridors, you're going to feel very claustrophobic very fast. Use the environment. There are plenty of water jugs and exposed wires in Swanson's place.
The Wine Cellar Reveal
The final piece of the puzzle is the vintage wine. This is where Creature Comforts in Dead Island 2 gets a little spicy. You have to head down into the wine cellar of the Swanson estate.
It’s dark. It’s damp. It smells like fermented grapes and rotting flesh.
The wine you need is tucked away behind a keypad-locked door. You’ll need the code, which is usually found on a note in the nearby kitchen or gallery area. Look for a document titled "Colt’s To-Do List" or something similar. It’ll give you the hint you need to crack the lock. Once inside, don't just grab the quest item and run. There are usually several high-value loot containers in these cellars that scale with your level. It’s worth the extra thirty seconds to pillage the room.
Combat Tips for the Bel-Air Scavenger Run
Listen, by the time you're doing this quest, the zombies have leveled up. You're not fighting the slow, shambling mounds of meat from the opening cinematic anymore. You’re dealing with Runners that have way too much energy and the occasional Apex Variant.
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- Environmental Kills: The Goat Pen is full of water features. Use them. A single car battery or an electric curveball can clear a room faster than any machete.
- Verticality: In the Swanson mansion, use the furniture. Zombies are surprisingly bad at climbing over high desks. If you get overwhelmed, hop on a table and use a polearm or a long-reach weapon to poke them in the head.
- The "Run and Gun": Sometimes, it’s better to just grab the loot and bolt. You don't get extra points for clearing every single zombie in the house unless you're farming for parts.
What You Actually Get for Your Trouble
Once you haul all this junk back to Curtis, he’ll be thrilled. Or as thrilled as a cynical old actor can be.
He hands over a Peggy. If you don't know what that is, it's a specialized Hunting Rifle. In the early-to-mid game, Peggy is a literal life-saver. It has massive stopping power and can one-shot most basic zombies if you aim for the head. It’s the kind of reward that makes the tedious back-and-forth travel of the quest feel justified.
You also earn a decent chunk of XP, which helps you unlock those much-needed Skill Card slots. Dead Island 2 is all about the cards, and the faster you level up, the faster you can turn your survivor into a literal god of destruction.
Final Tactics for Success
Don't rush this. The beauty of the Bel-Air maps is the density of the loot. While you're looking for Curtis's "creature comforts," check the safes. Most of the mansions have safes that require specific keys dropped by named zombies in the area.
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If you see a zombie with a unique name like "Goat Pen Server" or "Swanson’s Security," kill them immediately. They drop the keys you need to get the real high-end weapon mods.
Honestly, the quest is a bit of a trek, but it’s the best way to see the environmental storytelling the developers tucked away in these houses. You learn a lot about how the rich and famous spent their last hours—mostly drinking expensive wine and arguing over guest lists.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Verify you have completed the "Death of the Party" side quest; otherwise, Curtis won't be at Emma's to give you the mission.
- Travel to the Goat Pen and use the balcony shortcut to bypass the locked master bedroom door.
- Equip a weapon with the "Maiming" or "Puncturing" attribute before entering the Swanson wine cellar to handle the close-quarters combat.
- After turning in the items, immediately upgrade the Peggy rifle at a workbench; adding a "Damaging" mod makes it a powerhouse for the next five levels.
- Check your inventory for any "Bel-Air" keys you picked up during the run and backtrack to the specific safes in each mansion before leaving the zone.