Play Epic w/out Epic Feats or Epic Steeds? — Does it still work?

[Really Impressive Title]

I’ve never played Epic Munchkin before but since I got my hands on the double-sided “Level Playing Field” game board (which fits o’ so nicely into my Monsterbox; I can’t thank you enough) my friends have now been flirting with the idea of trying it out. — My only issue? The learning curve.

I’m not sure if the growing list of complicated Class and Race abilities contributed to SJG dropping this version of the game from official play, but it’s certainly the most intimidating part of the experience. — Me alone memorizing the Epic Feats would be tough enough but it get 2 to 5 more people to keep track of these new rules and play effectively?? It’s frankly not the kind of fun, fast and friendly(ish) gameplay that’s kept Munchkin off the shelf and on our party table.

With all that in mind, my question is this: does Epic Munchkin “work” without Epic Feats or Epic Steeds? Can an Epic Turn simply consist of kicking down 2 Door cards? — Would this make the game too difficult (or impossibly long)?


Also, are there any plans to retool and reintroduce an official 20 Level version of the game? My friends and I would love to play a longer game of Munchkin that is both challenging and approachable.