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Um... that's what the trope is! Wow, this discussion is starting to get natter.
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Dragon Writer
Unwinnable by Mistake is where the developers generally ensure you always have a way to proceed, but — oops! — they missed a spot.
Unwinnable by Design is where the developers made few (or no) attempts whatsoever: If the game became unwinnable because of choices you made, Tough Luck! Do Better Next Time.
Definitely needs a rename because of the misuse. How about Unwinnable At Your Own Risk?
edited 24th Sep '11 9:57:48 AM by Stratadrake
An Ear Worm is like a Rickroll: It is never going to give you up.
World's Toughest Milkman
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That's true of any game if you mess up badly enough. In fact, how do we distinguish this from If You Dont Play Well Enough You Lose? (Which isn't a trope, since it's true of pretty much every game ever.)
Dragon Writer
I'm partial to the "at your own risk" connotation: Any action you take can potentially make the game Unwinnable, and if it does, that's just tough luck.
An Ear Worm is like a Rickroll: It is never going to give you up.
Crown Description:
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Regardless of what the tropes should be called, Unwinnable by Mistake never covers situations when the problem is a programmer's mistake. That's a Game-Breaking Bug.
Reminder: Offscreen Villainy does not count towards Complete Monster.