There is a tendency in some art games to derive the artistic impact from refusing to let the player change things, from the conflict between what the player wants to achieve (and thinks he might be able to achieve) and what the designer has chosen to allow. At its simplest, the gimmick is to get the player to try to do something impossible, and then wait for him to give up.But the more art games do this, the less effective the technique is -- especially in works that identify themselves formally with an art game movement.
via gamasutra.com