The character screen looks like a store game. A blue and yellow 3D bird in a green vest and belt, standing on a sailing boat with the sea behind, and a blue glass panel beside it with the player name, an appearance selector and two big buttons, PLAY and PRACTICE. The modelling and lighting are well above the jam average.
Having a PRACTICE mode separate from PLAY is a huge kindness in a score game, because you can learn without dirtying your record. And letting me pick a name and appearance while pre-filling it with "PLAYER" means nobody gets stuck on a mandatory field. A few other entries in this jam could learn from that specifically.
The combat HUD teaches by playing: the on screen buttons say DASH [SPACE] with a stamina bar, ATTACK [LMB], CHARGED (HOLD LMB) and DEFEND [RMB]. I knew everything I could do without reading a word. Add the TIER bar at the top, the enemy name and health, damage numbers popping, and a 1ST PLAYER indicator, and you've got in-match ranking too. The polygonal grass arena ringed by water is clean and readable.
Three notes. PLAY only responded to a double click. I died quickly on 40 points and went straight back to the character menu with no results screen at all, and in a high score game that's almost essential. A short run summary (points, tier reached, enemies defeated) would make me want another go immediately. And the window is slightly wider than the screen, the HIGHCLAIMER logo at the bottom shows as "HIGHCLA".
I never reached the upgrade selection screen either, which sounds like the most interesting part. Of the entries with genuinely professional presentation here, this is one of the top three. It just needs that results screen.