History Main / LuckbasedMission

* ''Series/DealOrNoDeal'' is entirely luck. Contestants pick one briefcase with a random amount of money and eliminate other briefcases with random amounts of money - with no way of telling what's where. The only decisions contestants get to make are when the banker periodically calls and offers to buy their briefcase for the average (rounded off to the nearest $100 or so) of all the remaining money values leaving the contestant to decide to make the deal or not.
** There was exactly one non-luck based outcome on this show. One contestant inadvertently broke the cordless phone prop that the host used to call the banker - the banker then lowered his offer by $10 to compensate for 'expenses'.

** Similarly, the Creator/{{ITV}} game ''Series/RedOrBlack'', in which a group of 1,000 players participate in games where they need to choose the right outcome -- [[TitleDrop red or black]]. The endgame involved guessing whether a ball, launched into a giant roulette wheel (in Series 2, a "vortex"), will land in a red space or a black space.

* ''Series/DealOrNoDeal'' is entirely luck. Contestants pick one briefcase with a random amount of money and eliminate other briefcases with random amounts of money - with no way of telling what's where. The only decisions contestants get to make are when the banker periodically calls and offers to buy their briefcase for the average (rounded off to the nearest $100 or so) of all the remaining money values leaving the contestant to decide to make the deal or not.
** There was exactly one non-luck based outcome on this show. One contestant inadvertently broke the cordless phone prop that the host used to call the banker - the banker then lowered his offer by $10 to compensate for 'expenses'.

* ''Series/MinuteToWinIt'' is hard enough on its own, but its Million Dollar game ''Supercoin'' definitely qualifies as a Luck Based Mission. You have to bounce a quarter off of a table and get it into a water jug 15 feet away with a 1.75 inch mouth (barely larger than the quarter itself). It'd be difficult enough even if you could aim properly, but because you have to bounce the coins off the table, you have virtually no control over where those quarters are going. Few have come close; none have succeeded- aside from [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPdcroF-Fwc the host of the Turkish version]], that is.

[[folder:Visual Novels]]
* In ''VisualNovel/{{Melody}}'', with several in-game decisions (even the pivotal ones for the title character's career), there is no way to tell, or even infer, which decision is correct before making it, at least without reading the walkthrough.
[[/folder]]

** ''VideoGame/MortalKombat1'': Additionally, fighting [[SecretCharacter Reptile]] not only requires a double flawless victory followed by a fatality, but the player must "Look to la Luna"; there's a random chance of seeing objects fly across the moon. The player can only challenge Reptile if this occurs.

-->-- '''Yoda''', ''[[Literature/{{Shatterpoint}} Star Wars: Shatterpoint]]''

** Completing all objectives in par time on the second Belarus mission in ''VideoGame/SyphonFilterTheOmegaStrain'' is a coin toss, since Ivankov's papers are in one of three randomly chosen locations. Sometimes, the guard with the papers can [[GameBreakingBug completely fail to spawn]].

* Let's face it--many {{Tabletop RPG}}s are going to have some element of this by virtue of [[RandomNumberGod the use of dice or other randomizers for task resolution]]. Even if your character is tremendously skilled or powerful, a failed saving throw or other bad roll or series of them can ruin your whole day.

* Let's face it--many {{Tabletop RPG}}s are going to have some element of this by virtue of [[RandomNumberGod the use of dice or other randomizers for task resolution]]. Even if your character is tremendously skilled or powerful, a failed SavingThrow or other bad roll or series of them can ruin your whole day.

* Let's face it--many {{Tabletop RPG}}s are going to have some element of this by virtue of [[RandomNumberGod the use of dice or other randomizers for task resolution]]. Even if your character is tremendously skilled or powerful, a bad roll or series of bad rolls, especially when a lot is riding on them, can ruin your whole day.

* Let's face it--many TabletopRoleplayingGames are going to have some element of this by virtue of [[RandomNumberGod the use of dice or other randomizers for task resolution]]. Even if your character is tremendously skilled or powerful, a bad roll or series of bad rolls, especially when a lot is riding on them, can ruin your whole day.

* Let's face it--many TabletopRoleplayingGames are going to have some element of this by virtue of [[RandomNumberGod the use of dice or other randomizers for task resolution]]. Even if your character is tremendously skilled or powerful, a bad roll or series of bad rolls can ruin your whole day.

*** This was turned on its head in the 1990 version with Patrick Wayne, where you had to also find a hidden Tic-Tac-Dough pattern, but this time, you chose which symbol to try to find, and stopped the shuffling Xs and Os to set up the game; the first successful pick (where the chosen symbol was found) added $500 to the pot, with each subsequent occurrence doubling the pot (the opposite one added nothing). The dragon still cost everything, but if the pattern was found with the chosen symbol, the game and the pot and the prize(s) were won; if the dragonslayer turned up, the pot was doubled and the prize package was awarded. If the dragonslayer was found off the top, however, the player won $1000. Sometimes, however, one would need the dragonslayer to win, because the shuffling could [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/UnintentionallyUnwinnable leave the player with no way to make a Tic-Tac-Dough with the chosen symbol]]. This version was [[Main/TheyChangedItNowItSucks derided]], however, for having a dragon and dragonslayer that rapped their purposes (given that it was 1990 when it was on, and rap music was big then).

*** This was turned on its head in the 1990 version with Patrick Wayne, where you had to also find a hidden Tic-Tac-Dough pattern, but this time, you chose which symbol to try to find, and stopped the shuffling Xs and Os to set up the game; the first successful pick (where the chosen symbol was found) added $500 to the pot, with each subsequent occurrence doubling the pot (the opposite one added nothing). The dragon still cost everything, but if the pattern was found with the chosen symbol, the game and the pot and the prize(s) were won; if the dragonslayer turned up, the pot was doubled and the prize package was awarded. If the dragonslayer was found off the top, however, the player won $1000. Sometimes, however, one would need the dragonslayer to win, because the shuffling could leave the player with no way to make a Tic-Tac-Dough with the chosen symbol. This version was [[Main/TheyChangedItNowItSucks derided]], however, for having a dragon and dragonslayer that rapped their purposes (given that it was 1990 when it was on, and rap music was big then).

*** On the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6E72bxOTEiQ CBS Daytime]] version, the goal was different: you had to find a hidden Tic-Tac-Dough on the board before finding the dragon (whether X or O); each safe square was worth $150, and finding the hidden pattern meant you kept all money accumulated and won a prize package (the dragon still meant you lost everything).
*** This was turned on its head in the 1990 version with Patrick Wayne, where you had to also find a hidden Tic-Tac-Dough pattern, but this time, you chose which symbol to try to find, and stopped the shuffling Xs and Os to set up the game; each successful pick (where the chosen symbol was found) added $500 to the pot (the opposite one added nothing). The dragon still cost everything, but if the pattern was found with the chosen symbol, or the dragonslayer turned up, the pot was doubled and the prize package was awarded. If the dragonslayer was found off the top, however, the player won $1000. This version was [[Main/TheyChangedItNowItSucks derided]], however, for having a dragon and dragonslayer that rapped their purposes (given that it was 1990 when it was on, and rap music was big then).

** Averted with the SpiritualSequel ''VideoGame/PlagueInc'' where, while Madagascar would still close their everything if a dog so much as sneezed, you ''still'' had options to get in. One such way was with the parasite: one such evolvable trait turned it into a PuppeteerParasite that could slam an infected plane into Madagasgar regardless of their border status. Even if your disease lacked an ability to get into a country, there was also always the chance you'd get lucky and get a popup reading "the disease has somehow infected [a country]!" -- basically the game's way of saying [[AntiFrustrationFeatures you have no way of getting into this country now so we gave you a freebie]].

** Averted with the SpiritualSequel ''Videogame/PlagueInc'' where, while Madagascar would still close their everything if a dog so much as sneezed, you ''still'' had options to get in. One such way was with the parasite: one such evolvable trait turned it into a PuppeteerParasite that could slam an infected plane into Madagasgar regardless of their border status. Even if your disease lacked an ability to get into a country, there was also always the chance you'd get lucky and get a popup reading "the disease has somehow infected [a country]!" -- basically the game's way of saying [[AntiFrustrationFeatures you have no way of getting into this country now so we gave you a freebie]].

* The beginning of the last level in the original ''VideoGame/{{Double Dragon}}'' has you walk along the side of the brick wall. Some of the bricks pop out and hit you for massive damage. There's no pattern, thus, no way to tell which brick is going to pop out next. And once they do pop out, they do it so quickly you cannot dodge. Your best bet is just continuously jumping and trying to get past the wall as quickly as possible... except you also have to time it so that you don't get hit by the spear the statue standing right next to the wall thrusts at you.

** In Gran Turismo 5, a lot of the seasonal challenges feature a single lap to a difficult track (Nurburgring Nordschleife or Suzuka are the regulars) in which you start last and have to finish first. This can become, either {{Unwinnable}} if the car starting first is a fast one or EasierThanEasy if it's a turtle, helding back all the others.

* ''Videogame/TheImpossibleQuiz'' is virtually unwinnable on a first playthrough for even the cleverest thanks to its InsaneTrollLogic questions. And then some of the questions have a different answer every time, making it a luck based mission even if you memorized the answers.

%% [See discussion page] * ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' has a mild example of this, in that the exact layout of the danmaku during certain attacks depends on the whim of the RNG, though due to the way they work, there is always an opening somewhere. Early title ''Lotus Land Story'' is particularly bad about this, though - not only does it not have the limit of later games that ensures there is always an opening (thus potentially giving you completely unavoidable waves), it has an entire Luck Based ''Boss'' in the form of Marisa in stage 4 - she has a ton of attack patterns, and which one she uses at any given time is entirely up to the whims of the RNG. She's the only boss in any Touhou game apart from the spinoffs that is completely impossible to memorize. Marisa can either be a pushover or a brutal, brutal fight - and if you think you can just avoid her by playing as Marisa instead, the game responds by giving you a straight-up ThatOneBoss.

** ''VideoGame/RuneFactory3'' has Monica in a similar minigame, although it isn't necessary for any quest.Win three games in a row and you get some gold. Win four in a row and you get an useful item. [[DoWellButNotPerfect Win five in a row, and you get a black eye.]]

*** On the CBS Daytime version, the goal was different: you had to find a hidden Tic-Tac-Dough on the board before finding the dragon (whether X or O); each safe square was worth $150, and finding the hidden pattern meant you kept all money accumulated and won a prize package (the dragon still meant you lost everything).

*** This was turned on its head in the 1990 version with Patrick Wayne, where you had to also find a hidden Tic-Tac-Dough pattern, but this time, you chose which symbol to try to find, and stopped the shuffling Xs and Os to set up the game; each successful pick (where the chosen symbol was found) added $500 to the pot (the opposite one added nothing). The dragon still cost everything, but if the pattern was found with the chosen symbol, or the dragonslayer turned up, the pot was doubled and the prize package was awarded. If the dragonslayer was found off the top, however, the player won $1000. This version was derided, however, for having a dragon and dragonslayer that rapped their purposes (given that it was 1990 when it was on, and rap music was big then).

** The first six games' and ''Superstars''' Chance Times and equivalents can change who wins in one turn because one of the outcomes is ''swapping stars''.

** If the player is deep in the Lunar Whale or Blackjack course, that is to say, running gauntlets of random enemies 20 to 50 levels above the level cap, the player's survival can quickly wind up luck-based: Did the computer give the opponent the best equipment in the game, or merely a motley assortment? Do they have accessories that complement their strengths, or worthless ones? Is their summon godly, or horrible? Is their CPU-behavior set to a playstyle the player can counter reliably? There's no way of knowing unless you fully commit yourself to fighting the opponent. Start praying.

** In ''Kitty Powers' Love Life'', resolving a couple's argument is done by playing Blackjack against the other party, who is controlled by the AI. You can cheat to exchange your card for another one of higher value, but you have to be lucky with the cards you draw to win the argument.

* The gambling challenges in ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2'' are these, obviously. Challenge 8 in particular is frustrating for many players. It requires hitting 3 times and winning a hand of blackjack. You have to do this 3 times. Even if you get five cards, the dealer could win or tie. There are players who got it in 20 minutes, and others that have spent hours with only 1 win to show for it. The other challenges have some degree of skill involved, but this one is almost entirely luck based.

* ''VideoGame/IdolManager'': The two story mode objectives that require to rank within the top five and later first place in the sales chart. While both objectives are easier to reach when more sales are made, the actual number of sales needed can have suprising variations. There are some months on which the group's latest single will rank surprisingly high despite not having hit four digits in sales just because the competition didn't do well either, while there are others where a few thousands of sales won't get the player in the top ten, let alone the top five.

** ''VideoGame/MarioParty9'': At the end of Story Mode, it's you, an AI partner that hates you, and two smarter than your partner AIs that, if they win, make you start the level ALL over. The kicker, the Boss minigames (the ones with the most mini-star value) are pure dice rolling. Expect Shyguy and Magikoopa to have improbable luck and win both of these while your "partner" ruins your chances of winning by getting you fourth and then getting third themselves.