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The philosophy of star trek: the kobayashi maru, no-win scenarios, and ethical leadership.

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Starfleet’s no-win scenario training exercise tests ethical decision-making and leadership . Part of that ethical leadership is recognizing the limits of your powers, and deciding what to do in the face of those limits.

The Kobayashi Maru is a training simulation in which Starfleet cadets encounter a civilian ship in distress. To save the civilians, the cadet would need to enter the Neutral Zone, violating treaty; honoring the treaty means leaving the disabled freighter and its occupants in the Neutral Zone, at the mercy of the Klingons. As the simulation is set up, entering the Neutral Zone to save the civilians also results in Klingons attacking and boarding the ship which the cadet is commanding.

In its construction, the Kobayashi Maru is a no-win scenario. As we learn in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , James T. Kirk was the only cadet in Starfleet history to ever beat the Kobayashi Maru — by reprogramming the simulation so that it was possible to win. Is the Kobayashi Maru a good test of leadership, and of the ethical decision-making that’s a part of it? And what should we make of the fact that Kirk seems to have “beat” the test by cheating?

This man does not like to lose. (Credit: CBS via Getty Images)

There’s a way in which the Kobayashi Maru echoes the framing of ethical training as a matter of grappling with ethical dilemmas — with situations where your task is to choose the least bad of two bad options. This framing is what spawns trolley problems , which seem not to do much to help develop the ethical toolbox that gets us through the routine ethical decision-making essential to captaining a starship or living a good humanoid life. Not every ethical decision requires grappling with a dilemma. Indeed, most of the time good ethical decision-making before there’s a crisis can bring good consequences all around, heading off a moment downstream where you have to choose which stakeholder gets stuck with a dramatically bad outcome.

Of course, constructing a training scenario where you’re thinking that far downstream might not translate well to an hour-long captain’s chair simulation for a cadet (or for a gripping opening to the best major motion picture in the Star Trek franchise ). But such big-picture thinking about the effects of one’s decisions downstream is a habit essential to good ethical decision-making.

As a cadet taking the Kobayashi Maru, James T. Kirk seems also to have rejected the premise that leadership involves grappling with dilemmas. Kirk famously said that he didn’t believe in no-win scenarios. He didn’t accept the premise of the test that, outside the artificial conditions of the simulation, there would be no way to save the people on the freighter without also drawing the attention of the Klingons, losing your starship to them, and quite possibly provoking a war. Kirk’s impulse was to look for conditions where it was possible for those on the starship and on the disabled civilian ship to survive.

As it happens, Kirk created those conditions by surreptitiously reprogramming the simulation. (There is controversy among Trekkies over whether this counts as cheating. Kirk’s commendation for “original thinking” on the Kobayashi Maru suggests that Starfleet Academy’s view that it was not.)

It’s good to question whether features of a situation that we take for granted really are fixed, rather than changeable. When faced with two bad choices, it’s good to try to find a third, or fourth, or fifth possible choice that is less obvious but that might be better all around. I think the optimism embodied in Kirk’s rejection of no-win scenarios is the sort of thing that can motivate creative thinking about how to do a better job sharing a universe (which, really, is what ethics is about).

But I don’t think that’s what the Kobayashi Maru was intended to test.

Ethical leadership was a big part of Capt. Picard's thinking. (CBS via Getty Images)

A crucial feature of good ethical decision-making in the real world is understanding the limits of your powers. You try to make choices that bring lots of good consequences and minimal bad ones, that fulfill your obligations to everyone to whom you have obligations (including yourself) — but you’re doing it in a complicated world where you must make your choices on the basis of imperfect information, and where other people are doing things that may impose constraints on your options. Ethics cannot require us to be omniscient or omnipotent. This means that sometimes even the most creative and optimistic ethical decision-maker has to face a situation where none of the available choices or outcomes are very good.

Of his reprogramming of the Kobayashi Maru, Kirk said, “I don’t like to lose.” Hardly anyone likes to lose. But, if we’re measuring wins and losses on the basis of the outcomes we produce, the impacts we have on others, measured against some hypothetical better outcomes that we don’t have the knowledge or the power to produce, we are bound to lose at least some of the time. And we need to figure out a way to go forward when we do.

In circumstances where the stakes are very high — life and death — and we’re faced with an array of possible ways to lose, sometimes the best we can do is to choose the option that we most endorse. Maybe that option is the one that we judge will produce better consequences (avoiding war, but at the cost of the civilian lives on the disabled freighter). Maybe we choose trying to fulfill our obligations to the vulnerable parties whose immediate needs are most urgent, even in circumstances where our efforts are not likely to be successful.

It’s not clear that one of these ways to lose is “the right answer”.

Young James T. Kirk reprogrammed the Kobayashi Maru because he didn’t grasp the point of the simulation. Kirk thought it was a test of whether in the circumstances you could succeed in saving everyone. On that basis, he thought the circumstances were unfair (since there was no way to save everyone), so he changed them.

In fact, the Kobayashi Maru was meant to find out how the cadet responds when it becomes clear that you can’t save everyone — and that your best efforts may have created a situation where you can’t save anyone . It’s a test of character, and one that wouldn’t work if the cadet knew ahead of time that this was the point of the test.

The real test of the Kobayashi Maru is not how you respond in the simulator, but how you go on from there. Do you recognize that the universe may present you with situations your knowledge and powers are inadequate to address? That logic and ethical formulae can only get you so far? That sometimes the least-bad is the best you can do? Does this realization put you off the ethical responsibilities that come with leadership, or do you use it to adjust your expectations of how being a leader might feel in extreme situations?

Of the Kobayashi Maru, Admiral Kirk said its point was that how we deal with death is at least as important as how we deal with life. I’d add that it’s important to be able to deal with trying to live up to our ethical obligations while knowing full well that circumstances and our own limitation cannot guarantee we’ll succeed.

We don’t like to lose. Sometimes we need to exercise original thinking to figure out which of the bad options available to us is most like winning.

Want to read more on the science of Star Trek? Learn all about  geology and silicon-based life here . Find out whether  transporters could work in real life  here. Or check out the  engineering of transparent aluminum  here. Also, did you know that  Picard did math  in his spare time?

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Kobayashi Maru scenario

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The Kobayashi Maru simulator in 2285

The Kobayashi Maru scenario was an infamous no-win scenario that was part of the curriculum for command-track cadets at Starfleet Academy in the 23rd century . It was primarily used to assess a cadet's discipline, character and command capabilities when facing an impossible situation, as there is no (legitimate) strategy that will result in a successful outcome.

The test primarily consisted of the cadet placed in command of a starship, the USS Enterprise . ( Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan ) The ship would soon receive a distress signal from the Kobayashi Maru , a civilian freighter within the Klingon Neutral Zone that had been heavily disabled. Being the only ship in range, the cadet cannot choose to withdraw from the rescue mission and are forced to enter the Neutral Zone to rescue the vessel in risk of violating the treaties. The ship would then be confronted by Klingon K't'inga -class battle cruisers , which typically engaged in a firefight.

It was considered an absolute no-win scenario because it was programmed to be impossible for the cadet to simultaneously save the Kobayashi Maru , avoid a fight with the Klingons and escape from the Neutral Zone with the USS Enterprise intact. A cadet's choice of how to handle the rescue operation gave great insight into their command decision-making.

• 1.1 23rd century
• 1.2 24th century
• 1.3 25th century
• 1.4 32nd century
• 1.5 Alternate reality
• 3.1 Appearances
• 3.2 Background information
• 3.3 Apocrypha
• 3.4 External links

History [ ]

23rd century [ ].

In the 2250s , James T. Kirk became the first (and only known) cadet to ever beat the no-win scenario . After taking the test and failing twice, Kirk took the test a third time after surreptitiously reprogramming the computer to make it possible to win the scenario.

Kirk was subsequently awarded a commendation for "original thinking" and later commented, wistfully, that his stunt "had the virtue of never having been tried." Although Kirk understood that the purpose of the scenario was to confront cadets with a type of situation that they might encounter on duty, he defended his "cheating" by maintaining that he did not believe in no-win scenarios.

Saavik in command during the scenario

In March of 2285, Kirk, then an admiral serving as an instructor at the Academy, supervised Lieutenant Saavik 's performance in the Kobayashi Maru scenario. Former Enterprise crew members Spock , Sulu , Uhura and McCoy participated as "actors" in the simulation. In the simulated bridge, Saavik was placed in command of the USS Enterprise on a training mission to Gamma Hydra near the Klingon Neutral Zone. The starship received the distress call from the Kobayashi Maru , disabled after having struck a gravitic mine .

Admiral Kirk discusses Saavik's performance with her

Saavik chose to pursue a rescue and enter the neutral zone , quickly alerting three Klingon K't'inga -class cruisers. The enemy ships fired at them causing several bridge consoles to explode, "killing off" various officers and Saavik ordered all remaining hands to evacuate. Saavik's performance was considered "predictably dismal"; as Kirk observed to Spock, " [She] destroyed the simulator room and you with it. "

After the Battle of the Mutara Nebula , Spock admitted he had never taken the Kobayashi Maru test, but before he died of radiation poisoning , he described his sacrifice to save the Enterprise as his "solution" to the scenario. ( Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan )

While breaking Leonard McCoy out of a Federation prison and plotting to steal the Enterprise from the Spacedock One in Earth orbit , Admiral Kirk contacted Commander Chekov with the coded message " The Kobayashi Maru has set sail for the promised land. " ( Star Trek III: The Search for Spock )

By 2293 , the term " Kobayashi Maru " had become a slang term for any hopeless or seemingly impossible situation, at least in Starfleet culture. Leonard McCoy considered his and James T. Kirk's imprisonment on Rura Penthe to be a " Kobayashi Maru " and told Kirk as much, on their first night at the penal mine . ( Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country )

24th century [ ]

Commander William T. Riker mentioned that his classmate Paul Rice had beaten a difficult Starfleet Academy test by disregarding three options and coming up with a 4th option which worked. ( TNG : " The Arsenal of Freedom ")

In 2370 , Deanna Troi questioned whether the final part of the Bridge Officer's Test was a no-win scenario, recalling simulations similar to the Kobayashi Maru . However, she discovered her test did have a solution, requiring ordering a subordinate to his death. ( TNG : " Thine Own Self ")

A similar simulation was later used in the 24th century . It involved a damaged Ferengi ship as well as Romulan D'deridex -class Warbirds , instead of a civilian freighter and Klingon battle cruisers, and was performed on the holodeck . However, according to Tuvok this version did have a correct solution, that being to retreat. ( VOY : " Learning Curve ")

Brad Boimler failed the Kobayashi Maru scenario seventeen times during his time at the Academy. ( LD : " Reflections ")

Uhura and Odo on the USS Protostar 's holodeck

In 2383 , Dal R'El came across the scenario after discovering the USS Protostar 's holodeck, believing it to be a game. This version featured Klingon Birds-of-Prey and he chose a varied command crew consisting of well-known crewmembers of various time periods and commanded the USS Enterprise -D . Dal failed repeatedly, becoming more frustrated after each attempt. Finally, at the end of the scenario where he believed himself to win; he accidentally destroyed his ship. A holographic Spock explained to Dal the meaning of the no-win scenario and the importance of understanding and listening to your crew. ( PRO : " Kobayashi ")

Dal later referred to the impossible choice given to the Protostar crew by the Diviner as their Kobayashi Maru . ( PRO : " A Moral Star, Part 1 ")

In 2384 , while talking to Admiral Edward Jellico , Vice Admiral Kathryn Janeway called the impossible situation that the USS Dauntless was in with the Protostar "our own Kobayashi Maru ." However, Jellico refused to allow the Dauntless to enter the Romulan Neutral Zone in pursuit of the Protostar . ( PRO : " Masquerade ")

25th century [ ]

In 2401 , Admiral Jean-Luc Picard , now the Chancellor of Starfleet Academy , informed Commander Raffaela Musiker that he was considering an update to the Kobayashi Maru scenario. Musiker was pleased to hear it, commenting that she hated that test. ( PIC : " The Star Gazer ")

32nd century [ ]

In 3190 , Captain Michael Burnham and Federation President Laira Rillak discussed the Kobayashi Maru scenario in the aftermath of catastrophe of Deep Space Repair Beta Six and the death of three of its crew. Burnham was surprised that Rillak was aware of the scenario, not being Starfleet, but Rillak explained that she had learned of it from her experience in flying cargo around the sector for her father . Rillak felt that the lesson of the scenario was acceptance, and leadership being about balance, knowing what weight was one's to carry and what wasn't, something which Burnham didn't see yet. ( DIS : " Kobayashi Maru ")

Alternate reality [ ]

James T. Kirk during his third Kobayashi Maru test

In the alternate reality , the Kobayashi Maru test was programmed by Spock between 2254 and 2258 . Its purpose was to cause the cadets to "experience fear in the face of certain death" and learn to remain in control of themselves and their ship, despite that fear. Unlike the simulation in the prime reality, Starfleet Command this time specifically ordered the USS Trainer to rescue the USS Kobayashi Maru from a fleet of attacking Klingon warbirds .

In 2258, James T. Kirk , on his third attempt at the scenario, inserted a subroutine to make it winnable by eliminating the attacking Klingon vessels' shields and rendering them vulnerable to a single photon torpedo strike. Unlike in the prime reality, Kirk's behavior was considered unacceptable to his superiors, and he was brought up on disciplinary charges in a formal assembly of Starfleet personnel. The hearing was interrupted by a distress call from Vulcan , which was under attack by the time-displaced Nero , and Kirk was placed on academic suspension , until the Academy Council could rule on his case. As a result, Kirk was forced to stow away aboard the USS Enterprise with the help of Leonard McCoy . The outcome of the hearing is never directly stated, but as he gets promoted and continues to serve in Starfleet, the Admirality seems to have dropped the charges, probably due to his heroic actions on board the Enterprise . ( Star Trek )

In 2259 , one of the video feeds on Admiral Alexander Marcus was of the Kobayashi Maru test monitoring room. ( Star Trek Into Darkness )

See also [ ]

• Bridge Officer's Test
• Combat Simulation Smorgasborg

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

• Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
• PRO : " Kobayashi "

Background information [ ]

The earliest version of the Kobayashi Maru scenario was in a script draft that Jack B. Sowards wrote for Star Trek II . In this document, the simulation was much as it is in the film's final version, involving the attempted rescue of the Kobayashi Maru and Kirk suggesting that the test might be a "no win scenario." ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 3, Issue 5 ; [2] ) Sowards named the scenario for some former neighbors of his. [3]

Depicting the origin of the Kobayashi Maru test was one of multiple plot concepts that the writing staff of Star Trek: Enterprise suggested to Brannon Braga in a memo full of "story ideas" (the memo was dated 24 April 2001 ). It was proposed as a one-line pitch, though the memo also included more extensively written narrative suggestions. However, the Kobayashi Maru idea wasn't produced, unlike some of the other ideas.

In the audio commentary for the film Star Trek , writer and producer Roberto Orci states that he imagined that Spock also programmed the test in the prime reality, and that Kirk met him the same way after cheating.

According to Star Trek: Star Charts , the real SS Kobayashi Maru was lost in 2245 .

Apocrypha [ ]

The Kobayashi Maru scenario has also appeared in novels, short stories, video games and comic books.

Julia Ecklar 's The Kobayashi Maru tells how James T. Kirk , Pavel Chekov , Montgomery Scott , and Hikaru Sulu each faced the problem. In the novel, Kirk won the scenario by reprogramming the simulation so that the Klingons believed he was a famous starship captain, though he was only a cadet at the time. Chekov self-destructed his ship, taking the Klingons with him; to his humiliation, his instructor pointed out that ejecting his crew in lifepods did not save them, due to the explosions of the four warp drive vessels and the attending radiation. Sulu, given the consequences of entry into the Neutral Zone versus the slim chance of recovering the crew of the freighter, elected not to conduct a rescue operation, but faced a mutiny by his senior bridge crew which forced him to enter.

Scott tricked the simulation into overestimating the effectiveness of a theoretical attack against the Klingon ships' overlapping shielding. Faced with proof that such attacks, although quite valid in theory, would not work in reality and that Scott knew this, Academy staff reassigned Scott from command school to Engineering (his true love – he had used this "solution" precisely because of these consequences).

The origin of the Kobayashi Maru scenario was revealed in Michael A. Martin and Andy Mangels ' Star Trek: Enterprise novel Kobayashi Maru set in 2155 . In it, the Kobayashi Maru – here a freighter carrying secret Starfleet equipment to set up a listening post near the soon-to-be-established Neutral Zone – was hit by a gravitic mine in the Gamma Hydra Sector . When Enterprise came to save the Kobayashi Maru , the Romulans attempted to use a telecapture device on Enterprise – thus, allowing them to take control of the ship by remote – and bring in three D-5 class Klingon battle cruisers to ensure the elimination or capture of Enterprise .

Jonathan Archer was faced with the decision of losing his ship and the survivors or sacrificing the survivors and ensuring the survival of Enterprise , thus the no-win scenario, as Archer had been told to protect the freighter at all costs. Systems begin to fail on Enterprise indicating the ship was about to be taken over and Archer reluctantly chose to retreat.

Diane Carey 's Dreadnought! shows Piper almost beating the test by using a hand communicator to effectively hack the computer and make the simulation fight itself, nearly crashing every operating system in the Academy.

The Star Trek: Starfleet Academy game provides the test as one of the missions in the game scenario. Imitating Kirk, the player character has the choice to reprogram the simulator and win the mission. One of the options is to make the AI-Klingons believe that the cadet protagonist is a famous captain and obey him at once. The other two options -- making the Klingon ships weaker or dumbing down their AI -- will permit the player to defeat the Klingons but cause the program to crash, implying that Kirk chose the option to make the Klingons fear and respect him.

In Peter David 's Pocket TNG novel A Rock and a Hard Place , Jean-Luc Picard has some misgivings about accepting a maverick officer as Will Riker's temporary replacement, but is astounded to be told that said officer beat the Kobayashi Maru without cheating (according to the admiral telling Picard this, "programmers were in mourning for a week." )

In the short story "'Til Death", from the anthology book The Sky's the Limit , it's stated that when Riker took the Kobayashi Maru , he ordered an EVA suit brought to the bridge so that he could fight the enemy ships by hand. This gambit did not appear to have been successful.

The Pocket TNG novel Boogeymen depicts Wesley Crusher 's Kobayashi Maru -type test.

In Peter David 's New Frontier novel Stone and Anvil , Cadet Mackenzie Calhoun "wins" the scenario by destroying the freighter, disabling the attacking ships in the process, escaping with his ship and crew but killing those whom he had been attempting to rescue (he later defended his actions by claiming the scenario was clearly a trap and the freighter crew were most likely already dead – and if they were alive, this quick death was preferable to the treatment they would receive as prisoners. And the whole thing probably is a trap; the Kobayashi Maru is probably an enemy ship). By this time, the scenario had been upgraded with holodeck technology, enabling variations on the basic theme of a starship in trouble.

In the novel Sarek by A.C. Crispin , Peter Kirk beats the scenario by using a knowledge of Romulan customs unanticipated by the test's designers, challenging their captain to ritual combat – since all other hostilities must cease during the duel, the Romulan ships can only watch as Kirk's ship rescues the Kobayashi Maru crew and escapes unharmed.

Comic book stories of the Star Trek (DC volume 2) series are based on Ecklar's scenario. Three short stories in the Strange New Worlds anthology series have also tackled it:

In Andrew Morby 's "The Bottom Line" from Strange New Worlds III and Shawn Michael Scott 's "Best Tools Available" from Strange New Worlds VI , Cadet Nog solves it in two entirely different (and thoroughly Ferengi ) ways. In one case, he lures the enemy onto his ship, which he has set to self-destruct but with the announcement volume so low only he can hear it. In the other, when the simulated Romulan commander tries to demand his surrender, Nog replies "Name Your Price", and proceeds to haggle until the simulation crashes, as the programmers had never considered this possibility.

Kevin Lauderdale 's "A Test of Character" from Strange New Worlds VII depicts a different solution from Ecklar's, one in which Kirk's tampering is "cheating without cheating," since Kirk merely creates a level playing field, where success is not guaranteed.

Star Trek Online features a Kobayashi Maru -inspired mission wherein the objective is to defend a civilian transport from an increasingly difficult onslaught of enemy ships. The accolades (achievements in STO) for completing high-level waves directly reference James Kirk. The mission, appropriately enough, is called "No Win Scenario".

Star Trek: Resurgence reveals that the Kobayashi Maru has a successor test known as the "Torvallin Test".

External links [ ]

• Kobayashi Maru scenario at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Kobayashi Maru at Wikipedia
• 3 ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

You Can Take Star Trek's Most Infamous And Difficult Test for Yourself

Star Trek Fleet Command has published a browser-based version of the infamous Kobayashi Maru challenge for fans of the sci-fi series.

They call it the Kobayashi Maru, a punishing, stressful, impossible to win training simulation meant to test the character of leaders in an unwinnable scenario. It is a critical part of  Star Trek lore, and one of the most famous scenarios ever faced by the characters. Now, fans of the universe can take on the Kobayashi Maru challenge for themselves and see if they'd do any better against impossible odds.

The Kobayashi Maru challenge is rather straightforward in its setup: a Starfleet cadet enters a simulated scenario where they are tasked with rescuing a civilian ship named the Kobayashi Maru. Unfortunately, the ship is stranded in the Klingon Neutral Zone, and entering the area would certainly be seen as an act of aggression that could spark a conflict between the Klingons and Starfleet.

RELATED: Michelle Yeoh Discusses Her New Star Trek Spin-Off Show

So, the challenge becomes a more philosophical one : does the commander of the ship charge into the Neutral Zone in a desperate attempt to save the civilians? Or do they respect the neutrality, leaving them to certain death? Those who do attempt to save the ship are then thrust into situations where they cannot escape, cannot fight effectively, and ultimately, cannot survive.

This challenge was first depicted in  Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn , where the simulation plays out as described above. In  The Wrath of Kahn , this simulation was taken by  Saavik, who objects to the no-win scenario. Kirk then explains how it is meant to test the character of cadets, not their combat prowess or leadership. Later on, it is revealed that Kirk has actually won the Kobayashi Maru in the past by reprogramming the system, a plot point that was revived for the 2009  Star Trek  reboot film .

Obviously, fans have long speculated how they would react to the challenge, and how they might try to beat it. Now, thanks to  Star Trek Fleet Command , players can take it on for themselves . In a trailer narrated by George Takei, players are warned not to take on the challenge, describing it as an "all you can eat buffet of pain."

For those brave enough, or foolish enough, to take on the Kobayashi Maru for themselves, however, the game is freely available online. Those who do brave the challenge will want to ensure that they have the nerve, and the character, to brave the worst it has to offer.

You can try the Star Trek challenge at Kobayashimaru.com .

MORE: Star Trek's Original Scotty Had His Ashes Taken to the ISS

Source:  Star Trek Fleet Command/Youtube

How James Kirk Beat the Kobayashi Maru

By: Author Brad Burnie

Posted on Published: October 29, 2020  - Last updated: September 23, 2022

Share the Universe!

In Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Lieutenant Saavik took the Kobayashi Maru test that tested a captain’s ability to face death and fear while still maintaining control. It is a no-win scenario, and every captain that takes the test fails. But James Kirk was the only person who beat the no-win scenario.

James Kirk beat the Kobayashi Maru by reprogramming the conditions of the test. He programmed the test so that when the Klingon battle cruisers attacked his ship, they would recognize his name, stop firing, and help him rescue the ship. No one died, and no interstellar incident happened.  

While that answer may seem like the final say in the matter, there is a lot more to the story. Come on in and enjoy the ride!

What Is the Kobayashi Maru?

In the fourth year of Starfleet Academy, all cadets who want to sit in the captain’s chair need to take the Kobayashi Maru test before graduating. It is a simulation with a no-win scenario where a heavily damaged freighter is in the neutral zone near Klingon space and sends out a distress call. But going into the neutral zone is an act of war, and the Klingons attack any ship going into the neutral zone.

As the test progresses, the one taking the test must choose between ignoring the distress call or taking a chance to rescue the freighter survivors. But rescuing the survivors would mean violating several treaties and would risk an interstellar war, as well as risking the ship and their lives.

Every time a cadet tries taking the test, either choice they make results in failing the test and “killing” everyone in the testing room. A cadet could not possibly rescue the survivors, escape the neutral zone, and fight off the Klingons simultaneously, which is why it is a no-win scenario. 

Later, after the peace treaty with the Klingons, the test was changed to include the Romulans rather than the Klingons. 

No one ever won this test except for James Kirk; later, David Forester and Peter Kirk did the same thing as James did and won the scenario.

What Is the Purpose of the Kobayashi Maru?

Cadets who want to be captains must be prepared for any no-win scenario they encounter during their missions. In a real-life situation, a captain must maintain control over their fears and the fears of their crew and passengers. They also must be ready to face death the same way they face life and come to terms with their ethical boundaries. 

It was used to test the character and morals of a cadet to make sure they were suited for the captain’s chair. If they chose to ignore the distress call, they might not make suitable captains. 

However, a cadet could argue that they were trying to avoid an interstellar war and obey the treaties. But if they tried rescuing the survivors of the Kobayashi Maru, and everyone died, then they might look favorably to the board because they were willing to go above and beyond to rescue those in need regardless of personal dangers. 

No one can know what the test is like until the simulation begins. If they did, they would be able to prepare for the test. In a real-life scenario, they wouldn’t be able to prepare for what comes at them, so the test is there to test what kind of person the cadet is.

Regardless of what choice the cadet made, it would have disastrous consequences for someone. After failing the simulation twice, only one cadet figured a way around this no-win scenario–James Tiberius Kirk.

After James changed the test conditions, he faced a court-martial as it appeared that he cheated. However, he showed that he was willing to do whatever it took to save others, even if it means deception. Because of that point, it was respected because it showed Starfleet potential and values. 

How Many Captains Took the Test?

Since the test was a requirement for all who wanted to be captains, almost all captains took the test. Passing or failing the simulation didn’t automatically disqualify a cadet from being a captain. What the cadet faces is the no-win scenario is what passes or fails a cadet for the captain’s chair. 

Two captains didn’t take the simulated test, and that was Captain Spock and Leonard McCoy. But at the end of the second Star Trek movie, Spock knew that there was no way out of the situation they were in. After thinking about how James Kirk beat the no-win scenario, Spock took matters into his own hands and saved the ship. 

When he was talking with Kirk, he asked, “I’ve never taken the Kobayashi Maru. What do you think of my solution?” Spock sacrificed himself for the good of the ship when it seemed like a no-win scenario. 

Lieutenant Saavik tried taking the test, but failed and all but destroyed the simulation room. She was confused about how Kirk beat the test, and when she found out he reprogrammed the test, she thought he cheated.

When Mr. Scott took the test , he used engineering solutions to destroy the waves of Klingon attacks. At the end of the test, to destroy the Klingon ships’ final wave, he used the Parera Field Theory, which was a physical impossibility. However, the computer was satisfied, and he passed the simulation. Once the authorities realized how he beat the no-win scenario, they moved Scotty from command school to engineering school.

Chekov evacuated his crew and rammed his ship into the Klingons, creating a “suicide mission” of sorts. However, this solution did not rescue the crew of Kobayashi Maru and, therefore, was not a viable solution.

After James Kirk reprogrammed the simulation, two other cadets attempted the same thing. 

• David Forester –A character in a Star Trek game followed Kirk’s example and reprogrammed the simulation so he could pass. Though it is not clear how he programmed it, it seems that he did the same thing James Kirk did.
• Peter Kirk –James’ nephew, later entered Starfleet Academy and took the Kobayashi Maru test. He challenged the other captain to a duel to the death. While they were fighting, he told the rest of the crew to rescue the freighter ship and warp away. He was the other Kirk to beat the no-win scenario.

When trying for a promotion, Counselor Troi took the simulation test after it was changed to Romulan space. She failed the test several times, then realized that the point was to accept the consequences of a no-win scenario. She was not inventive enough, like Kirk, to reprogram the simulation. However, she more than likely got more out of it and understood what the test tried to teach cadets.

James Failed the Test Twice Before He Passed It

James Kirk took the test three times but failed it the first two times , which didn’t sit too well with him. Failing the test made him realize that he didn’t like to lose and started thinking about changing the test’s conditions. Together with his friend, Ted Horner, changed the conditions of the test.

The simulation was the pivotal point in his life that sent him on the path of being fearless and courageous no matter what the circumstance was. 

However, in the Kelvin timeline, Kirk was a rebel and constantly in trouble because his father died while he was a child. He did everything to benefit him, regardless of the consequences. So when he faced a no-win scenario, it would be logical that he would “cheat.”

He Developed the Mindset for Not Losing

After he failed the test a couple of times, Kirk decided that he would not lose ever again, even if he must take matters into his own hands. Whenever he faced situations that looked hopeless or grim, he always looked at them with the idea that there are always possibilities. He thought out of the box and came up with unique solutions. 

One of his unique solutions was seen in the movie Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. When they were at the Genesis planet, and the Klingon ship severely disabled the Enterprise, Kirk and his skeleton crew beamed off the ship to the planet below while the Klingons beamed to the Enterprise. Before they left, however, they set it to self-destruct and kill the Klingons. 

When on the planet, they watched part of the ship fall into the atmosphere. Kirk said, “My god Bones, what have I done?”

Bones replied in his usual calm and witty manner, “You’ve done what you’ve always done–given us a fighting chance to live.”

Kirk always took charge of a situation and had original thinking throughout his career, making him one of the best captains in the fleet. 

James Kirk Programmed His Name as Respectful to Klingons

Before taking the Kobayashi Maru the third time, James Kirk reprogrammed the simulation so that the Klingons would recognize his name when they came to attack the ship. He thought that if the Klingons knew who was coming and that he was only there to rescue a damaged freighter, he could avoid a fight and leave the area without anyone needing to die.

But in real-life scenarios, Kirk’s name was anything but respectful to Klingons. They hated him because of how many times he thwarted their conquests. On the planet where Klingons gave one side weapons without doing the same for the other side. Kirk interfered with their plans by giving the other side weapons, which balanced each side to develop at the same rate.

The Klingons were angry with Kirk because they wanted to claim that planet in the name of the Empire. 

They had a deep hatred for him that spanned several decades, and when it came time for the peace talks, they framed him for the murder of Chancellor Gorkon and sentenced him to life on the penal asteroid Rura Penthe.

When Klingon Cruisers Attacked, They Knew His Name

During the simulation, after he reprogrammed the test, he chose to rescue the freighter survivors. Right on cue, the Klingon ships appeared out of nowhere. Before they fired on the ship, Kirk hailed them to identify himself and his mission. They recognized his name and asked if they could offer him and his crew a hand.

In the simulation, he programmed it to contact the lead battle cruiser and talk with the commander. When the Klingons heard his name, they believed that he was a legendary hero . Kozor let them go and escorted them to the freighter.  

Ironically, later in his career, the Klingons knew his name alright, but not in the way they did in the simulation. He was known as a renegade, a dictator, and a murderer to the Klingon Empire.  

Kirk Rescued the Kobayashi Maru With the Help of Klingons

The Klingons helped Kirk rescue the Kobayashi Maru and prevented other Klingons from firing on them during the rescue. Because Kirk programmed the simulation where it was possible to win, he avoided facing death head-on. He didn’t like losing and refused to lose. 

They only helped him because they thought he was a legendary hero, which was the reprogramming topic.

His superiors were angry and almost kicked him out of the Academy, with 99 demerits. After all of the criticism, he was given a commendation for original thinking, and he became the youngest Starfleet ever to become a captain of a starship.

An Interstellar Incident Was Avoided

Since the Klingons assisted Kirk to rescue the survivors, an interstellar incident was avoided, and any war that could have happened didn’t because of how the simulation was programmed. 

During many of the real missions that the Enterprise encountered, Kirk had much of the same mentality. When they encountered the Romulans for the first time in a century, they managed to escape unharmed due to Kirk’s unique fighting style. Spock assisted in many of Kirk’s solutions by adding the scientific element needed to get out of tricky situations. Together, they avoided many interstellar wars.

Kirk’s answer to the simulation mirrors many of his adventures in the series and the movies. When faced with unwinnable situations, he thought outside of the box and saved everyone.

The Klingons Respected James T. Kirk in the Simulation

In the simulation, the Klingons respected James T. Kirk because they thought he was a hero and helped rescue the freighter’s crew. Once he got past the Klingon patrol, he warped away, giving him time to rescue the crew.

But in the Star Trek universe, the Klingons despised Captain Kirk so much that they often sought him to kill him. In “The Trouble With Tribbles,” Kirk was instantly despised and distrusted, even as he investigated the grain issues. It turned out that the Klingons poisoned the grain to conquer the planet it was going to. Scotty transported the tribbles to the Klingon ship, which made them respect Kirk even less.

Another instance that angered the Klingons was in the episode “A Private Little War,” where they gave weapons to one group of people on a pre-warp planet but not the other group. Kirk balanced the war by giving the other group the same weapons, which the Klingons got angry about. 

The Alternate Kirk Inserted a Subroutine and a Virus Into the Simulation

An alternate James Kirk from the Kelvin timeline actually did cheat in this simulation by installing different subroutines to the test. During this alternative timeline, Kirk made it possible to lower the Klingons’ shields and destroy them with one torpedo strike. The way he won this scenario was unacceptable to the top brass and was brought up on disciplinary charges.

During the hearing, there was a distress call from Vulcan. Nero, from the Prime timeline, was attacking the planet. Starfleet sent the Enterprise with Kirk on board to save the planet. Once it was done, the academic council dismissed charges and got a commendation for original thinking. 

A deleted scene from one of the Kelvin timeline movies showed that Kirk was dating Uhura’s roommate simply because she was a technician. He wanted access to the simulator so he could place different subroutines in the test. He emailed her during the simulation that implanted a virus in the simulation, which made it possible for him to reprogram the test and beat the no-win scenario.

Regardless of the timeline, James Kirk was a renegade thinker with unique solutions to problems that would make most people run the opposite direction. He never liked losing any scenario, but he was afraid of death. 

When Spock died in the second Star Trek movie, he had a very difficult time accepting that one of his best friends sacrificed himself for the ship’s good. His son David reminded him that “how we face death is at least as important in how we face death.” Kirk finally realized that death is a part of life, and when situations require a life or death scenario, it’s okay to lose for the greater good.

• Forbes: The Philosophy of Star Trek: Kobayashi Maru, No-Win Scenarios, and Ethical Leadership
• Wikipedia: Kobayashi Maru
• Wikipedia: The Kobayashi Maru (Star Trek Novel)
• Birth Movies Death: James T. Kirk Did Not Cheat On the Kobayashi Maru Test
• Memory Alpha: Kobayashi Maru Scenario
• Memory Beta: James T. Kirk
• Memory Beta: Kobayashi Maru Scenario
• Memory Beta: Peter Kirk
• Memory Beta: David Forester

Brad Burnie is the founder of Starships.com. He loves all video game genres. In his spare time, he loves reading, watching movies, and gaming

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Star Trek's Kobayashi Maru Exercise Explores No-win Situations

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A half-Vulcan Starfleet cadet is faced with a moral dilemma . While commanding the U.S.S. Enterprise, Saavik (portrayed by Kirstie Alley) is contacted by the Kobayashi Maru, a civilian freighter that's struck a mine and lost all power.

The situation is dire. Without assistance, those stranded souls are as good as dead. Yet the accident occurred in the Neutral Zone, an area of space dividing the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire. Rescuing this crew means entering the Zone, a decision that would put Saavik's own ship at risk — and potentially start a war.

But can she bear the thought of letting innocent people suffer and die on her watch? Saavik decides she can't.

She orders the Enterprise into the Zone, violating a critical treaty. That provokes an immediate attack from Klingon warships. Within minutes, Saavik loses her vessel and its crew. And the worst may be yet to come.

So begins the 1982 blockbuster " Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan ." Saavik, we soon learn, has just taken Starfleet's hardest training exercise. Simply called the Kobayashi Maru, it's a simulation that puts future commanders in a classic "no-win scenario."

Or at least, it's supposed to. The audience is told a certain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) was the only person to actually "beat" the Kobayashi Maru test — albeit, on his third try. How'd he do it? Well, by all accounts, Capt. Kirk cheated.

Winning a No-win Scenario

To boldly ... cheat, a test of character, final takeaways.

" Star Trek " has been a playground for philosophers ever since the original series launched Sept. 8, 1966. Introduced in "Wrath of Khan," the Kobayashi Maru is what ethicists might call a " trolley problem ." When the only way to save some lives is by sacrificing others , what's the morally correct thing to do?

Most of us would try to find a loophole. When young Kirk didn't just find one, he invented one.

"I reprogrammed the simulation so it was possible to rescue the ship," he tells a curious Saavik. "I changed the conditions of the test, got a commendation for original thinking. I don't like to lose."

Neither does his counterpart in the 2009 J.J. Abrams reboot. This " Star Trek " shows Chris Pine playing an alternate-reality Kirk who bests the Kobayashi Maru with the same trick — only this time, he's reprimanded instead of rewarded. Both iterations of the character swear they "don't believe" in no-win scenarios.

Obviously, we can't pick the brain of a fictional space captain, but we can talk to a lifelong Trekkie: "Star Trek" superfan Jessie Earl , who contributes to The Advocate magazine and explores the history of the "Star Trek" franchise on her YouTube channel .

"Perhaps the biggest misconception about the test [speaks to] the mythos surrounding Capt. Kirk's solution to the problem," Earl says via email.

As she explains, Kirk thinks "there is always a way out of a no-win scenario, even if it involves cheating. Starfleet itself, as well as many Trek fans, praise Kirk's ingenious solution to the test."

Good old Kirk has a real talent for thinking outside the box . By reprogramming the Kobayashi Maru, he avoided all the horrible outcomes it was designed to present.

Choosing between two bad options isn't always a necessity in real life. Americans love a good story about innovators who — when confronted by an unfair or narrow-minded industry — simply changed the rules to get ahead. Oscar-winning films like "The Social Network" (2010) and 2014's "The Imitation Game" arguably fall into that genre. Heist movies have a similar appeal.

Off-screen, we needn't condone cheating, but there's always something to be said for creativity.

Inspired by the Kobayashi Maru, Gregory Conti and James Caroland of the U.S. armed forces once encouraged their own IT students to cheat on an upcoming, one-question math quiz . But there was a caveat: Anyone caught cheating by the proctors would receive a failing grade.

That got everybody's creative juices flowing. One student painstakingly wrote the correct answer on a soda can. Another hid it in the near-exact duplicate of a textbook cover they'd made. Sometimes, cheating is hard work.

Getting back to Kirk, in the 2009 movie, he justifies cheating on the Kobayashi Maru by claiming the test "itself is a cheat" since it was "programmed to be unwinnable." Like the old proverb says, turnabout is fair play.

The problem, according to Earl, is that Kirk's solution "costs him an important lesson ... that there are some situations where you just can't get away unscathed."

"Humans are an incredibly binary-oriented species," she says. "No-win scenarios force us to acknowledge that often, there is no right or wrong answer, only differing answers with different results and consequences."

Pines' Kirk called the Kobayashi Maru unwinnable, but winning it was never the objective. "Wrath of Khan" posits that the test's real value lies in the way it forces Starfleet cadets to face death. Spock, as played by Zachary Quinto, repeats this sentiment in the 2009 film.

"The Kobayashi Maru is not at all about competence at technical skills, but a test of character," Earl says.

Leonard Nimoy's Spock proves his own mettle late in "Star Trek II." A showdown with the villainous Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalbán) leaves the Enterprise crippled — and well within range of a devastating explosive. At the cost of his own life, Spock enters an irradiated engine room and makes the repairs necessary for his crewmates to escape.

"I never took the Kobayashi Maru test until now," the dying Vulcan muses to Kirk. "What do you think of my solution?"

"The entirety of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan's plot is actually a rejection of Kirk's disbelief in a no-win scenario," opines Earl. "While Kirk's unwillingness to accept defeat allows him to continually push himself — even in the most desperate of situations — it sometimes makes him unwilling to sacrifice anything."

His tenacity has merit. Yet Spock's heroic death leaves a grieving Kirk to reconsider his philosophy. Though the Enterprise gets the better of Khan, it'd be hard to call the end result a "win."

"When weighing decisions, we must directly confront the ramifications of our actions," Earl says. "And the job of a leader is to understand that you hold the responsibility for others' lives in [your] hands."

There's a rumor that Khan's massive, gratuitously exposed chest muscles in "Star Trek II" were prosthetic. Don't believe it . The pecs were real; Montalbán was in fantastic shape for a guy who turned 62 in the year of the film's release.

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Read This: The true ethical lessons of the Kobayashi Maru test in Star Trek

Just what are cadets to learn from the Kobayashi Maru scenario in Star Trek ? While it’s the perfect foreshadowing and opening for Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan , with its discussion of death and sacrifice, and is later used to show the cockiness of Kirk and the rigidity of Spock in the 2009 reboot, is there more to the test than just a narrative device? For one writer, the test isn’t about the scenario itself but instead how it informs the test-taker’s perspective on life and death.

Writing for Forbes, Janet D. Stemwedel discusses the parameters of the test as well as exactly what types of ethics it’s actually testing. For those unfamiliar, here’s the Kobayashi Maru test as presented in Star Trek II :

Stemwedel points out that Kirk’s solution for the test—essentially cheating and reprogramming it to allow a win-win scenario—did show creative thinking and a novel approach to a problem. It also cheated him out of learning to lose.

A crucial feature of good ethical decision-making in the real world is understanding the limits of your powers. You try to make choices that bring lots of good consequences and minimal bad ones, that fulfill your obligations to everyone to whom you have obligations (including yourself) — but you’re doing it in a complicated world where you must make your choices on the basis of imperfect information, and where other people are doing things that may impose constraints on your options. Ethics cannot require us to be omniscient or omnipotent. This means that sometimes even the most creative and optimistic ethical decision-maker has to face a situation where none of the available choices or outcomes are very good. Of his reprogramming of the Kobayashi Maru, Kirk said, “I don’t like to lose.” Hardly anyone likes to lose. But, if we’re measuring wins and losses on the basis of the outcomes we produce, the impacts we have on others, measured against some hypothetical better outcomes that we don’t have the knowledge or the power to produce, we are bound to lose at least some of the time. And we need to figure out a way to go forward when we do.

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It’s an interesting read that discusses real life ethical quandaries through the lens of a famous pop culture issue. People face Kobayashi Marus all the time , albeit not to the extent that interstellar war is on the table, but they face circumstances where no solution will be a perfectly happy one, and someone will lose somehow. When these happen, the question isn’t if the person will lose, but what the person learns from losing. It’s also a great excuse to re-watch Wrath Of Khan and remember how much ass that film kicks.

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UPDATED: Kobayashi Maru Web Game – Do you Believe in the No Win Scenario?

From Scopely Games comes the Kobayashi Maru Web Game and Contest, the ultimate test for Star Trek fans, can you beat the no-win scenario?

‘With thousands of spectacular ways to fail, only a few will best the no-win simulation to earn prized memorabilia and more at KobayashiMaru.com’

Today a new game enters the Star Trek universe from developers Scopely . While the name might not be instantly recognizable, their games certainly are. Scopely are the minds behind some of the most popular mobile-based games on the market, games that include Scrabble Go, WWE Champions, The Walking Dead – Road to Survival and of course , Star Trek: Fleet Command to name but a few.  

The latest game to come from Scopely will not be played on your mobile device, instead, it is web-based and promises a challenging experience to its players, just like the real simulation. The claim is that the Kobayashi Maru Web Game will be so difficult the chances of winning is 1 in 10,000. The game promises to be so difficult that Scopely has teamed up with CBS to offer some amazing prizes to those that not only do crack the code so to speak but for those that do it in the quickest time.

UPDATE : We now have the contest rules for the Kobayashi Maru web game along with more specifics on the prizes that you can win. The contest itself will run from today (11th February) up until the Thursday 25th February ending at 11:59 PM ET or 4:59 AM in the early hours of Friday morning UK time.

For a full list of the prizes and terms and conditions visit https://theconceptstudio.com/rules/kobayashimaru/

Leading mobile games company Scopely is launching Star Trek: Kobayashi Maru , a decision-driven web-based game that brings the iconic Kobayashi Maru test to life for the very first time. The Kobayashi Maru, according to Star Trek lore, is an “unwinnable” training simulation created by Starfleet Academy to measure character and resolve through thousands of no-win scenarios, famously beaten only by cadet James T. Kirk. Created by the team behind the #1 Star Trek mobile game, Star Trek Fleet Command , the Kobayashi Maru web game is fun to play, but nearly impossible to beat . As part of this choice-based interactive experience, the player assumes the role of a Starfleet cadet facing the Kobayashi Maru for the first time. Only by choosing precisely the right path through endless perilous options will the player succeed where so many others have failed. With the odds of beating the Kobayashi Maru at around 1:10,000, the three fastest players to find the hack and defeat the simulation will win big prizes — including a CBS All-Access Lifetime Subscription and limited-edition Star Trek collectables . Adding to the nostalgia of Star Trek and to make failure fun, the game pays homage to the 1980s with incredible retro-inspired artwork and animation.

Early Access

Trek Central was granted early access to Kobayashi Maru; I can confirm that the game is very difficult and I will not be publishing the time I spent trying to beat those Klingon bastards here. I will confirm, however, that the game is very enjoyable and could possibly become your newest addiction.

The gameplay on Kobayashi Maru is so easy to play, no keyboard bashing or joystick thrashing. This is a simple point and click-based interface in which you are offered suggestions by your crew and you make the choices that you think will solve the issues that crop up. Each option you take will either take you closer to success or closer to failure.

The Kobayashi Maru is timed and keeps a running track of your failures so if you do manage to win the game you will find a spot on the scoreboard and, if you’re good enough, potentially in that top three winning spots.

The only real drawback from this experience is that I am unable to reprogram the simulation making me able to win. Kirk would be disappointed.

As part of our early access to the Kobayashi Maru simulation, we spoke to the developers to find out more details on this latest addition to the Star Trek gaming catalogue.

Trek Central: Can you tell us how the Kobayashi Maru game came about?

Scopely : We wanted to offer a novel experience that would be available to the wider Star Trek audience. When brainstorming different ideas with the writers at CBS, they really latched onto the idea of exploring the Kobayashi Maru. It’s such an iconic part of Star Trek lore, we couldn’t resist the opportunity.

Trek Central: Why did you decide to make Kobayashi Maru a web-based instead of like your previous games, mobile-based?

Scopely : Making it web-based really lets us hit a different part of the Star Trek fandom. Star Trek: Fleet Command is one experience in the Star Trek universe that’s about establishing your own Independent base in a tumultuous Alpha Quadrant, exploring the galaxy, running missions for the major factions, building alliances, more.

The Kobayashi Maru simulation is a very different experience. Some may have described it as a “buffet of pain” that is “unwinnable” which will make you “ugly cry.” But I hope a lot of people get as much a kick out of trying and failing in it as we did bringing the whole experience together. Getting to explore these different parts of the Star Trek universe is one of the things I love about working on this team — we recently expanded the universe in our mobile game Star Trek: Fleet Command to include The Original Series and Discovery, now featuring the past and future of the franchise in one place for fans.

Trek Central: The Pixel-based animation on the Kobayashi Maru game is a great throwback, why was this route taken instead of a more modern graphic approach?

Scopely : We wanted to pay homage to those great adventure games from the ’80s. Some of them were quite brutal in difficulty, so we thought that would be a good art style to tie into our Kobayashi Maru pain train. A lot of us played those games as young gamers, so making a tribute to one is really a dream come true.

Trek Central: Finally Kobayashi Maru is classed as unbeatable with 1 in 10,000 chance of winning, can you tell us how many levels players will have to face if they are to find the way to beat it?

Scopely : I wouldn’t say it’s about “levels” in the classical sense of progression. Without giving too much of a hint (hopefully!) the game experience is not just about how you encounter the Kobayashi Maru. There are things to be discovered in the story around the simulation itself; in your relationship with your crew members and even the simulation instructor himself. It’s important for players to remember that this is a simulation designed to test the limits of your character and resolve: Think you can beat it in fewer attempts than the famous James T. Kirk himself? Good luck!

Star Trek: Kobayashi Maru is now available to the global community of Star Trek fans at KobayashiMaru.com .

You can also follow them on twitter https://twitter.com/kobayashimaru

About Scopely

Scopely is a global interactive entertainment and mobile games company, home to many top-grossing, award-winning franchises including Scrabble® GO, MARVEL Strike Force, Star Trek™ Fleet Command, Looney Tunes™ World of Mayhem, WWE Champions, The Walking Dead: Road To Survival™, YAHTZEE® With Buddies and Wheel of Fortune®: Free Play , among others. Scopely creates immersive games that empower a directed-by-consumer experience. Founded in 2011, Scopely is fueled by a world-class team and a proprietary technology platform that supports one of the most diversified portfolios in the West. Recognized in Fast Company ’s ‘World’s Most Innovative Companies’ and #2 on Deloitte’s ‘Technology Fast 500’ as one of the fastest-growing companies in North America, Scopely has achieved more than $1 billion in lifetime revenue by creating long-lasting game experiences. Scopely has global operations and games studios across Los Angeles, Barcelona, Boulder, Dublin, London and Tokyo with additional studio partners in seven countries across four continents.

Scopely has a history of thrilling Star Trek fans with Star Trek Fleet Command , which recently became the first mobile game in history to capture the entire Star Trek Universe. Just this month, the fan-favorite game added characters and storylines from The Original Series. As a genre-defining 4x strategy MMO, Star Trek Fleet Command players spend an average of 4 hours playing each day.

For more information, visit www.scopely.com .

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Think You Have What It Takes to Beat 'Star Trek's Kobayashi Maru Challenge? If So, You Could Win Big

Odds of winning are 1 in 10,000. Good luck!

Turns out, I probably don't have what it takes to rise through the ranks of Star Trek 's officers, not if my performance in the infamous Kobayashi Maru test is any indication. I've tried brute force, I've tried studying the lore, I've even tried emulating the original thinker-outside-the-box James T. Kirk to get me through, and still nothing but inglorious defeat. Still, the odds of winning this simulation are 1 in 10,000, so while I have yet to best it, surely someone reading these words will find a way.

And if you do, and if you're one of the top three in the world who are quickest to do so, riches and fame await you. Today, "mobile games company Scopely is launching Star Trek: Kobayashi Maru , a decision-driven, web-based game that brings the iconic Kobayashi Maru test to life for the very first time. The Kobayashi Maru, according to Star Trek lore, is an 'unwinnable' training simulation created by Starfleet Academy to measure character and resolve through thousands of no-win scenarios, famously beaten only by cadet James T. Kirk. Created by the team behind the #1 Star Trek mobile game, Star Trek Fleet Command , the Kobayashi Maru web game is fun to play, but nearly impossible to beat ."

Here's how the browser game is set up, along with what you might win should you be clever enough to beat the unbeatable test:

As part of this choice-based interactive experience, the player assumes the role of a Starfleet cadet facing the Kobayashi Maru for the first time. Only by choosing precisely the right path through endless perilous options will the player succeed where so many others have failed. With the odds of beating the Kobayashi Maru at around 1:10,000, the three fastest players to find the hack and defeat the simulation will win big prizes -- including a CBS All-Access Lifetime Subscription and limited-edition Star Trek collectables . Adding to the nostalgia of Star Trek and to make failure fun, the game pays homage to the 1980s with incredible retro-inspired artwork and animation.

While I'm sure the ultimate solution to this will make me feel like a dummy, it's a tough yet rewarding experience. Every frustration is met with a smile as a little more Star Trek lore is revealed bit by bit. But you don't have to take my word for it. Here's George Takei to tell you just what level of pain you're in for should you attempt the Kobayashi Maru:

George Takei wants you to know - you never know how you’ll react in a no-win situation until you’re faced with one head on. Play the Kobayashi Maru now: http://bit.ly/3cWRWxb

Here's more on the folks behind the scenes:

Scopely has a history of thrilling Star Trek fans with Star Trek Fleet Command , which recently became the first mobile game in history to capture the entire Star Trek Universe. Just this month, the fan-favorite game added characters and storylines from The Original Series. As a genre-defining 4x strategy MMO, Star Trek Fleet Command players spend an average of 4 hours playing each day.

Star Trek: Kobayashi Maru is now available to the global community of Star Trek fans at KobayashiMaru.com . Good luck, cadets!

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NCIS: Hawai’i’s Cancellation Is A Massive Loss For One Important Aspect Of The Franchise

Stephen king raves about netflix's "extraordinary" sci-fi adaptation, suits: l.a.’s first reactions confirm the spinoff is bringing back one of suits’ greatest strengths.

Warning: SPOILERS for the Short Trek episode "Ask Not".

Star Trek revealed the origin of Starfleet's test of character, a scenario that would evolve into the infamous Kobayashi Maru no-win scenario. As the Star Trek franchise continues to expand on CBS All-Access, Short Treks  serve to bridge the gap for fans eager for the debut of Star Trek: Picard and the return of Star Trek: Discovery in 2020. Even better, the Short Treks are also a chance to spend more time with Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), Number One (Rebecca Romijn), and Spock (Ethan Peck), who have been centerpiece characters in this season's crop of mini-episodes. Intriguingly, the newest short, "Ask Not", features a test very similar to the Kobayashi Maru.

Introduced in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , the Kobayashi Maru was used by Admiral Kirk (William Shatner) and Captain Spock (Leonard Nimoy) to assess the command capabilities of Lieutenant Saavik (Kirstie Alley). In the no-win scenario, the cadet would simulate commanding a starship that encounters the Kobayashi Maru, a civilian freighter under attack by Klingons in the Neutral Zone. There's no way to actually triumph in the simulation as it's impossible to rescue the civilians, avoid conflict with the Klingons, and escape the Neutral Zone in one piece, but the choices the test-taker makes reveals their character and what kind of commander they would be. Infamously, Kirk was the only cadet who ever beat the Kobayashi Maru - by cheating; he reprogrammed the simulation so that he could win. ( "It had the virtue of never having been tried,"  was Kirk's justification.) Starfleet agreed and gave Kirk a commendation for 'original thinking'.

Related: Star Trek Just Improved The Original Series Pilot

"Ask Not" revealed that similar tests of character were common in Starfleet during  The Original Series ' era and Captain Pike used it on an unwitting cadet named Thira Sidhu (Amrit Kaur). While Sidhu waited on a Starbase for her transfer to the Starship Enterprise , Pike is brought to her as a prisoner who has been stripped of his rank. Sidhu is ordered to watch Kirk at gunpoint while the Starbase and the Enterprise fight off an attack by the Tholians. Befuddled but trying to follow these drastic orders, Sidhu has to contend with Pike trying to assert his command over her. As they argue about protocol and loopholes to Starfleet regulations, Pike insists on Sidhu allowing him to join the fight against the Tholians and he even resorts to emotional blackmail before attempting escape. Resolute despite her no-win scenario, Sidhu threatens to shoot Pike with a phaser if he refuses to stand down, at which point, a satisfied Pike drops the pretense and reveals it was all an intense simulation designed to test Sidhu's character - and the cadet passed with flying colors. Her reward was being personally escorted aboard the Enterprise by Captain Pike , meeting Number One and Spock, and beginning her duty in Engineering.

It turns out the elaborate ruse designed to test a cadet's character was the brainchild of Number One, and Spock added that he's learned to expect "no mercy" from the Enterprise's First Officer. It seems Number One's tests of character became widely adopted throughout Starfleet. Amusingly, Cadet Sidhu believed the scenario because she naturally assumed someone like Captain Pike would be " too busy" to partake in such a ruse. After all, Sidhu is just a cadet transferring to Engineering, not someone on the Command track to be a Captain - why go through the trouble of staging such a tortuous trial for a midshipman? But perhaps Pike has greater plans for Cadet Sidhu aboard the Enterprise and this was the first step towards her greater destiny.

Similar tests of character were also used in later Star Trek series: In the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Thine Own Self", Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) faced a similar no-win scenario during her Bridge Officer's Test and she even noted its similarities to the Kobayashi Maru. The Star Trek: Voyager episode "Learning Curve" substituted a Ferengi ship and Romulan Warbirds in its holodeck training scenario, though Lieutenant Tuvok (Tim Russ) noted the correct solution was to retreat. Finally, in Star Trek 2009's Kelvin alternate reality, Kirk (Chris Pine) arrogantly cheated to beat the Kobayashi Maru scenario, infuriating Spock (Zachary Quinto) , who programmed the test.

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Published Feb 15, 2021

The Kobayashi Maru Hits the Web

Beat the unbeatable and win big!

StarTrek.com

We all know the Kobayashi Maru. The training exercise created to test Starfleet Academy cadets in a no-win scenario. All you have to do is rescue the civilian vessel Kobayashi Maru in a battle with the Klingons...but the disabled ship is located in the Klingon Neutral Zone, and any Starfleet ship entering the zone would cause an interstellar border incident. Do you know how you would command your crew? Would you save the vessel or keep the peace?

Turn your hypotheticals into reality while playing this Kobayashi Maru simulation ! Our Star Trek Fleet Command friends are challenging you to beat their unbeatable test and are even offering huge prizes as motivation (as if you needed more). Play through the simulation between Thursday, February 11, 2021 and Thursday, February 25, 2021 and top the leaderboard for a chance to win one of these three prize packages.

Don’t forget to tweet us at @StarTrek, @StarTrekFleet , and @KobayashiMaru to let us know how you did.

Star Trek Fleet Command is available to play for free on all Android and iOS devices. Download Now !

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Beat Star Trek's Kobayashi Maru Simulation And Win Fantastic Prizes

Star Trek: Kobayashi Maru is a promotional game by Viacom CBS which will test your knowledge of the Star Trek universe.

Star Trek is one of the most enduring franchises that you'll find. Its history goes back nearly 60 years, but the stories that are told within its universe haven't seemed to have aged at all . One of those stories is of the Kobayashi Maru test that hopeful Star Fleet captains (which now includes you) have to take to prove their mettle. Since starships don't exist yet (outside of SpaceX) you'll win fabulous prizes for beating the "unbeatable" test.

As explained by GameRant, the lore of the Kobayashi Maru started way back with Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan. The test, designed for enterprising cadets, entails running across a civilian ship—the Kobayashi Maru—that is stranded in the neutral zone between Federation space and the Klingon empire. Attempting to save the people aboard the Kobayashi Maru will incur the wrath of the Klingons, resulting in the destruction of your ship.

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The point of the test, as Spock explains in the 2009 reboot, isn't to win—it's to recognize that there are no-win scenarios that a captain will have to face. However, both times that we've seen the Kobayashi Maru test, Captain Kirk was able to successfully rescue the stranded crew and save his ship—a feat which you will have to replicate if you want to win some prizes.

You can play the test by going to  www.kobayashimaru.com , but there is more at stake than just a game. This test is part of a promotion by Viacom CBS, which ends on February 25 and will award the three best times with prizes. First place will win a "lifetime" (described as 30 years) subscription to Paramount+, and a replica of William Shatner's green "wrap" (almost a uniform). Second place will win a collectibles package and a "Personalized Captain's Assignment Letter U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701." Third place wins a gift card and a "Star Trek Starfleet Academy Personalized Certificate."

Based on the contest's official rules, you'll be able to navigate the test by "choosing the correct paths based on Star Trek knowledge" and reaching a win condition. Unfortunately, your time is cumulative, so failures count toward your score. So, before you take the test, you might want to brush up on your knowledge of the Star Trek universe. Good luck, cadet.

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Source: GameRant | The Concept Studios

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Do you Believe in a No Win Scenario?

By Ambassador Kael | Mon 08 Aug 2022 09:00:00 AM PDT

From across the quadrants, Captains of all species and creeds understand the value of occasionally pushing themselves to the limits – to find out just how far their equipment, and their willpower, can take them, and just how much fight they can muster when the situation is at its direst. Screw your courage to its sticking place, and dive headlong into these classic tests of mettle – dare to face the No Win Scenarios.

This Event will include multiple TFOs previously featured individually in a combined Featured Event that will allow players to choose their preferred test each day, while earning Daily Progress toward a new grand prize reward. Defend the Kobayashi Maru in a starship-based simulation in a hazard-strewn space environment, or take on wave after wave of randomized enemy encounters within the dangerous confines of the Arena of Sompek.

Participating in this Event will give all players the opportunity to win a Sompek Energy Rebounder  for their entire account! Keep reading for details on these items, how you can participate in the Event, and what additional prizes may be earned. 

Take the Tests Again

Two existing activities will be participating in this Event:

Arena of Sompek – Ground TFO

In the interest of strengthening the Alliance against its enemies, and providing entertainment, the Klingons have agreed to allow other members to participate in the legendary qaD HoS event. You’ve been invited to Qo’noS to participate as representatives of the Alliance. It will be good practice for the battles ahead, and should be good for morale.

The Event version of the simulation ends after you complete Round 7.

Kobayashi Maru – Space TFO

The legendary Kobayashi Maru simulation has been updated to represent more of the risks of the modern galactic environment. Defend the ill-fated E.C.S. Kobayashi Maru from attackers amidst increasingly-dangerous waves of enemies, while avoiding randomized obstacles and hazards.

The Event version of the simulation ends after you complete Round 6.

While most of the action players will engage in during these TFOs have not changed for this event, a few minor adjustments have been made to each that will be present for the length of this Event’s run:

• As noted above, each has a fixed duration during this Event. Prior to the designated ending point, neither can be failed.
• During this Event, the Untimed/Infinite versions of these TFOs will be temporarily disabled.
• Each completion will reward a Choice of All Marks (replacing the usual Mark rewards)
• Both TFOs have had their Cooldown Timers temporarily disabled

Review Your Results

Viewing the details of this Event in-game is as simple as opening your Journal and navigating to the “Events” tab. From here, all of the pertinent information is at your fingertips, as are simple-to-use buttons that allow quick access to the associated Content for this Event.  

As a core feature of the updated Event System, all Progress Points gained toward completion of the Event are  shared across your entire Account , and all earned Progress is automatically tracked and applied toward completing the Event.

Players will be able to earn their Daily Progress once every 20 hours. Either of the above TFOs may be played as much as you like each day, so pick and choose how you prefer to gain Progress each day, and mix it up as much (or as little) as you like! 

Event Campaign

The No Win Scenarios Event will be one of the Events participating in the latest Event Campaign. Each day that your Daily Requirement is met, the standard daily allotment of 50 Event Campaign Progress will be applied to your progress toward the completion of the Event Campaign’s Grand Prize.

Rewards 

Accruing a total of 14 Days’ worth of Daily Progress will allow you to claim the Grand Prize of this Event. This reward includes all of the following: 

Sompek Energy Rebounder

The Sompek Energy Rebounder was designed from technology within the Arena of Sompek Holodeck simulation and adapted for real-world applications. The kit is capable of delivering a powerful laser capable of quick destruction. The laser's design was a relic of Sompek, a Klingon emperor who ruled Qo'noS in ancient times and famously laid siege to Tong Vey where he ordered the entire population massacred. Upon activation, two stationary turrets are deployed facing each other to allow the Rebounder to fire. Enemies caught in the line of fire receive heavy Plasma Damage.

3x Featured TFO Reward Boxes

Each gives a choice of 1x Specialization Point or an Enhanced Universal Tech Upgrade

25,000 Dilithium Ore

Issued immediately for use as you see fit!

(Note: The Featured TFO Boxes and Dilithium Ore are only rewarded once, to the first character on your account that claims the Grand Prize.)

Bonus Rewards 

After claiming the Grand Prize, you will unlock the option of earning additional Dilithium Ore each day that you continue participating in the content associated with this Event. Each day you earn the Daily Progress you will be automatically granted a bundle of Dilithium Ore. 

This bonus reward will begin at 8,000 Dilithium Ore for the first day’s completion, then scales up with each subsequent bonus completion that you achieve. The more you play, the more you continue to earn! 

Zen Buyout Option 

For players interested in instantly completing this Event – whether that is due to worries over finding the play time to complete it, or simply wanting to move immediately into earning Bonus Rewards – we will be offering a method for buying out. 

Within the Event UI, an option will be presented that allows you to purchase the  remaining progress that you need, for a scaling amount of Zen.  The base price for this service will be 2,000 Zen, but every single Daily Progress that you earn will reduce that price on a percentage basis. Thus, if you have already earned 7 Daily Progress (half of the 14 required), this price will be reduced for you down to 1,000 Zen. The more you play, the cheaper the Buyout Option becomes, dynamically! 

A Second Chance 

Once this Event has ended, your opportunity to earn Progress Points will have passed. However, the Event System will store the progress that you made long after the Event has expired. Based on this stored progress, the option to Buyout the rewards will remain available through a new “Second Chance” section of the Zen Store. The price for this buyout is the same as what is offered while the Event is active, and scales in the same manner based on your amount of Progress Points accrued.

Legacy Progress

As with previous Events, we will continue offering the opportunity for players to utilize their old Event tokens to apply toward this Event. To access this functionality, select the “Legacy Progress” button on the Event UI. This button will only be visible to players that have tokens available to trade in.

Availability

The No Win Scenarios Event will become available for players on PC starting on August 16 th at 8am PT and continuing until September 6 th at 10am PT . Console Captains will be receiving the same event soon!

Jeremy “BorticusCryptic” Randall Staff Systems Designer  Star Trek Online 

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