Backlogs of unfilled orders grow. Faced with rising orders and large backlogs, players dramatically boost the orders they place with their supplier. Eventually, the factory brews and ships this huge quantity of beer, and inventory levels surge. In many cases one can observe a second cycle. During the game emotions run high.
Many players report feelings of frustration and helplessness.
After the game I ask the players to sketch their best estimate of the pattern of customer demand, that is, the contents of the customer order deck. Only the retailers have direct knowledge of that demand. The vast majority invariably draw a fluctuating pattern for customer demand, rising from the initial rate of 4 to a peak around 20 cases per week, then plunging. Then you tricked me - just when the tap began to flow, you made the customers go on the wagon, so I got stuck with all this excess inventory. Blaming the customer for the cycle is plausible.