If you’re a Star Trek fan then you’ve doubtless heard of the Kobayashi Maru, first seen in the second Star Trek film Wrath of Khan. It’s a training exercise that’s supposed to be nigh unbeatable, involving the rescue of the titular civilian ship. And now you can play it for yourself.
The exercise is now available in browser game format, as part of a promotion for the mobile game Star Trek: Fleet Command. It’s an actual contest, with the three top completion times winning one of three prizes.
Defeat the Kobayashi Maru
And if you’re a serious Trek fan, you want one of those prizes. The first prize is a replica of the green tunic Kirk wears in the original Star Trek series (plus a lifetime subscription to Paramount+ — or another prize to the value of about $1,800 if you’re unable to access the service).
The second and third prizes include gift vouchers (to the value of $500 and $200 respectively), as well as a Captain Kirk standee for second place (the Shatner Kirk, for clarity’s sake) and a Starfleet certificate for third. And all you have to do is head to the browser-based game’s website, log in with a Facebook account, and start banging your head against the wall.
Which, if you know your lore, is what’s bound to happen if you play with honour. But since they’re fully expecting players to cheat, it falls to the world’s fastest ‘original thinker’ to scoop the prize. You’ve got until 25 February this year to make your attempt. May the For–…. wait, wait, wait… Go where no man has gone before. That’s better.