This is pretty rough.
Since this is angled towards being a rogue-lite losing should not be a punishment. The player should always have a form of reward and something to work towards since they definitely will not be finishing a run on their first go.
Ive been throwing myself at this for over an hour and have gone through four cycles and always falling short, and have literally nothing to show for it, no upgrades, no progress, nothing. I really dont see the point in continuing, and other players will bounce off way sooner than i have.