Kobayashi Maru is a game built around the fictional test from the Star Trek universe. The test was originally meant to be a test of character, as the scenario is an impossible scenario in which to succeed. I have several images that I've editted myself from startrek.com, warnerbros., and lucasfilms as well as a font from Star Trek fonts.
I wanted the user to feel the sense of frustration that any cadet would feel when faced with an impossible scenario. Those who don't give up and look for an alternate solution will be rewarded.
Since there isn't much of a backdrop for the game, I tried to make the game screen look as much like a ship in a battle as possible. Hopefully with the bridge of the enterprise and ships/space in the background, the user realizes what's going on. There is a target so that users can click on and kill enemy ships under the correct settings. I have the screen flash red every few seconds to give the user the impression that they are under attack. The user will quickly realize that there is no way for him/her to win the game at the start. The user's lasers are disabled and the enemy ships have their shields on. The user needs to realize that there is a txt file that they can edit to "cheat" and beat the scenario. Just as a note, my laptop wasn't able to import textures that had resolutions that weren't powers of 2 for some reason, so that's why everything is either a square or 2:1 rectangle.
The novelty in the game is that it originally cannot be beaten. The user can either accept that fate and leave and declare the game garbage or unfair, or they can look for a different kind of solution (like Kirk did in the new movie).
I think that the game does a pretty good job of looking good and getting across certain ideas (when you can and can't fire, the fact that you are under attack, etc.) without being too obvious about holding your hand. I have no idea if the game could actually be beat if the player doesn't know the twist before playing beforehand. The ability for the player to see the twist and the satisfaction of beating the game are the most important elements but I had no time to test that.