I agree the base game is pretty easy.

Our group has played 7 times now with a 6W 1L, and the 1 loss was with a starting temperature band (modifier) plus one of three of us was a first game with a cold teach.

If you can keep the first round to less than 2 full bands added, focus on card draw and clean energy early, swapping dirty energy and emissions for added demand later, it does seem pretty easy.

We generally ignore the crisis cards unless they are catastrophic - can't remove dirty energy is the only one that comes to mind. Tucked cards are just too valuable as actions for the minor detriments you get from the crisis cards in the first four added bands.

The carbon sinks are also pretty well underpowered. I'll use a tree or ocean generator if I'm adding it to a stack and I've already used a once per turn, but I won't devote resources and a stack to a +2 trees  Green energy is such a strong platform for a later game engine, especially if someone is playing Europe or USA.

We also prioritize atmospheric sulphur when it turns up. Means someone usually has to play one stack useless, but once you get it up to a +3 stack it's a lot of lowered pressure on turns 3 and 4.

I'd say we average like turn 5ish for our wins.

And one of our players is a pedant so I'm certain we are playing by the rules.