History Main / UnwinnableJokeGame

* I-Mockery's [[http://www.i-mockery.com/minimocks/tetris-charity/ Tetris: Charity Edition]]. The intro screen promises that I-Mockery will donate money to charity for every player that clears 20 lines or more in A-Type mode (no such promises for {{R-Type}} [[CrowningMomentOfFunny mode]]). However, once you breach the 15-line mark, NES characters fall instead of Tetris blocks. They...can't fit together in any line-clearing fashion. Then the game's ending chastizes you for not even being able to clear twenty measly lines. Truly, one of I-Mockery's cruelest [[spoiler:AprilFoolsDay jokes]] of all time.
** It's RType mode is equally unbeatable, since the AdvancingWallOfDoom eventually moves too fast for you to destroy quick enough.

* ''Webcomic/{{xkcd}}'' has [[http://xkcd.com/724/ a strip]] about ''VideoGame/{{Tetris}}''. Predictably, someone on the internet made a game like that. And some managed to score lines in it.

!!For example,

* The creators of ''VideoGame/TheRoomTheGame'' released what appeared to be the equivalent for ''The Hunger Games''....on April 1st. It becomes a test to see how many times a player can take one of Clove's throwing knives to the head before giving up.

* ''Webcomic/{{xkcd}}'' has [[http://xkcd.com/724/ a strip]] about ''VideoGame/{{Tetris}}''. Predictably, someone on the internet made a game like that.

Compare UnwinnableByMistake, where the game cannot be won because of a design flaw, UnwinnableByDesign which is a serious game that is designed so that certain circunstances will render it unwinnable, as well as EndlessGame and WideOpenSandbox, which don't have a win condition in the first place.

* ''[[WebAnimation/HomestarRunner Super Kingio Bros]]''. It's a Mario clone where your character cannot jump high enough to pass the first [[TheGoomba enemy]].

Compare UnwinnableByMistake, where the game cannot be won because of a design flaw, as well as EndlessGame and WideOpenSandbox, which don't have a win condition in the first place.

[[quoteright:279:[[{{XKCD}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hell_2688.png]]]]

* Videogame/SteamshovelHarry. The earth will be destroyed by a missile in ten minutes, and only you can stop it! [[spoiler:The tutorial takes 9:58 minutes, and you lose immediately afterwards.]]
* [[HomestarRunner SuperKingioBros]]. It's a Mario clone where your character cannot jump high enough to pass the first [[TheGoomba enemy]].
* [[http://xkcd.com/724/ This XKCD strip]] about {{Tetris}}. Predictably, someone on the internet made a game like that.

* Most RemarGames have a highest difficulty level called "Reallyjoel's Dad" that is completely impossible. Examples include Videogame/HeroCore, Videogame/{{Iji}}, and Videogame/HyperPrincessPitch.
* The creators of ''TheRoomTheGame'' released what appeared to be the equivalent for ''The Hunger Games''....on April 1st. It becomes a test to see how many times a player can take one of Clove's throwing knives to the head before giving up.

* The InteractiveFiction ''{{Suspended}}'' becomes this if you play on [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Impossible]] mode, where the sun goes nova in two turns.

* Every single LunaGame.

* Almost every LunaGame.

* An in-universe example appears in the BritCom ''MrDonAndMrGeorge''. The two titular characters are shown playing a board game, which George is winning by declaring a series of increasingly bizarre moves. It is then revealed that Don never gets ''any'' moves, and the game is called "George, You're Simply the Best."

* An in-universe example appears in the BritCom "MrDonAndMrGeorge". The two titular characters are shown playing a board game, which George is winning by declaring a series of increasingly bizarre moves. It is then revealed that Don never gets ''any'' moves, and the game is called "George, You're Simply the Best."

* The creators of ''TheRoomTheGame'' released what appeared to be the equivalent for ''The Hunger Games''....on April 1st. It becomes a test to see how many times a player can take one of Clove's throwing knives to the head before giving up.

* Most RemarGames have a highest difficulty level called "Reallyjoel's Dad" that is completely impossible. Examples include HeroCore, {{Iji}}, and HyperPrincessPitch.

* Most RemarGames have a highest difficulty level called "Reallyjoel's Dad" that is completely impossible. Examples include HeroCore, {{Iji}}, and HyperPrincessPitch.

* [[http://rpgmaker.net/games/3339/ Zephyr Skies: The Winter Sage]] starts out as a typical rpg, but then it glitches and turns into playing tetris/matching up pictures. It may actually be winnable in terms of getting perfect score, but the results don't change and the game repeats in an infinite loop.

* SuperKingioBros. It's a Mario clone where your character cannot jump high enough to pass the first {{Goomba}}.

[[quoteright:279:[[XKCD http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hell_2688.png]]]]

An UnwinnableJokeGame is a game that looks like it can be won, but it really can't be, and this is intentional on the part of the designer. These are almost always meant as a joke.

Compare UnwinnableByMistake, where the game cannot be won because of a design flaw, as well as EndlessGame and WideOpenSandbox, which simply don't have an ending and don't suggest they do.