I recruited Arthur and Cecille and my party reached level 3 (although Lord Cullingham didn't, actually), it's hard to progress as a character who gains a level goes back to 0 hp.
I love that the game plays as fast as you press the buttons and the overall presentation, probably first and foremost the UI elements and interactions as the EGA palette I am more indifferent about although the actual pixel art is very good.
The Chicken Coop event is hilarious.