Galen Ciscell

I’m sorry your experience was so dismal, Brigraen 🙁 Unfortunately I’m just the designer and have no control over how the game is demoed at conventions. However, if you’d like to try again you could make the game easier by starting with extra mystic energy, removing the Controlled Flood misfortunes, or starting the Athenians back further on the Attack Track. You could also try drawing a number of Misfortunes equal to the turn instead of the number of players (i.e. one misfortune on turn 1, two misfortunes on turn 2, etc.). But it really is quite possible to beat. Maybe try again with fewer players – and people you know (I suspect you were playing with at least a few strangers at GenCon).

I am the designer of the game and have played over 100 times (and watched the game played several more). It is perfectly possible to beat, and in fact it happens with some regularity. If you lost, try again. And again 🙂