diff --git a/card_game/src/lib.rs b/card_game/src/lib.rs
index f011c16..7aea343 100644
--- a/card_game/src/lib.rs
+++ b/card_game/src/lib.rs
@@ -653,66 +653,46 @@ where
 	}
 }
 
+#[cfg_attr(
+	feature = "serde",
+	derive(serde_derive::Deserialize),
+	serde(bound = "
+		G: serde::Deserialize<'de>,
+		SessionConfig<G::Config>: serde::Deserialize<'de>,
+		Vec<G::Instruction>: serde::Deserialize<'de>,
+	")
+)]
+struct SerializedSession<G: Game> {
+	config: SessionConfig<G::Config>,
+	state: G,
+	history: Vec<G::Instruction>,
+}
 #[cfg(feature = "serde")]
-impl<'de, G: Game> serde::de::DeserializeSeed<'de> for Session<G>
+impl<'de, G: Game<Score = i32>> serde::de::Deserialize<'de> for Session<G>
 where
-	G: serde::Deserialize<'de> + Clone,
-	G::Instruction: serde::Deserialize<'de>,
+	G: serde::Deserialize<'de> + Clone + Eq + core::hash::Hash,
+	G::Stats: Default,
+	G::Instruction: serde::Deserialize<'de> + Eq + core::hash::Hash,
+	SessionConfig<G::Config>: serde::Deserialize<'de>,
+	Vec<G::Instruction>: serde::Deserialize<'de>,
 {
-	type Value = SessionState<G>;
-	fn deserialize<D>(self, deserializer: D) -> Result<Self::Value, D::Error>
+	fn deserialize<D>(deserializer: D) -> Result<Self, D::Error>
 	where
 		D: serde::Deserializer<'de>,
 	{
-		struct SessionStateVisitor<G: Game> {
-			state: G,
-			stats: SessionStats<G::Stats>,
-			config: SessionConfig<G::Config>,
+		let serialized = SerializedSession::deserialize(deserializer)?;
+		let mut session = Session::new(serialized.state, serialized.config);
+		for instruction in serialized.history {
+			session.process_instruction(instruction);
 		}
-		impl<'de, G: Game> serde::de::Visitor<'de> for SessionStateVisitor<G>
-		where
-			G: serde::Deserialize<'de> + Clone,
-			G::Instruction: serde::Deserialize<'de>,
-		{
-			type Value = SessionState<G>;
-			fn expecting(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter) -> std::fmt::Result {
-				write!(f, "State History")
-			}
-			fn visit_seq<A>(mut self, mut seq: A) -> Result<Self::Value, A::Error>
-			where
-				A: serde::de::SeqAccess<'de>,
-			{
-				let mut state = self.state.clone();
-				let mut history = match seq.size_hint() {
-					Some(capacity) => Vec::with_capacity(capacity),
-					None => Vec::new(),
-				};
-				while let Some(instruction) = seq.next_element::<G::Instruction>()? {
-					history.push(StateSnapshot {
-						state: state.clone(),
-						instruction: instruction.clone(),
-					});
-					state.process_instruction(
-						&mut self.stats.inner,
-						&self.config.inner,
-						instruction,
-					);
-				}
-				Ok(SessionState { state, history })
-			}
-		}
-		let state = G::deserialize(deserializer)?;
-		deserializer.deserialize_seq(SessionStateVisitor {
-			state,
-			stats: self.stats,
-			config: self.config,
-		})
+		Ok(session)
 	}
 }
 #[cfg(feature = "serde")]
-impl<G: Game> serde::Serialize for SessionState<G>
+impl<G: Game> serde::Serialize for Session<G>
 where
 	G: serde::Serialize,
+	G::Config: serde::Serialize,
 	G::Instruction: serde::Serialize,
 {
 	fn serialize<S>(&self, serializer: S) -> Result<S::Ok, S::Error>
@@ -744,13 +724,14 @@ where
 		// serialize the initial state of the game.
 		// if there is history, it is the first snapshot's state,
 		// otherwise it is the current game state since there are no moves.
-		let state = if let Some(snapshot) = self.history.first() {
+		let state = if let Some(snapshot) = self.state.history.first() {
 			snapshot.state()
 		} else {
-			&self.state
+			&self.state.state
 		};
+		map.serialize_entry("config", &self.config)?;
 		map.serialize_entry("state", state)?;
-		map.serialize_entry("history", &History(&self.history))?;
+		map.serialize_entry("history", &History(&self.state.history))?;
 		map.end()
 	}
 }