I love the game loop! The way the score is used as XP is neat. Overall, a very great game. Soundtrack, visuals, mechanics, all very well done!
There were some things that were a bit confusing at first, so if you don't mind, I've shared some feedback below. Not in a bad way, because the game is absolutely amazing! In more of a playtest way, if you decide to update the game, these are some things I feel would improve the experience for future players.
- You Lose vs Game Over
It's unclear if there's a way to win by getting to the end of the rooms or if it's endless. "You lose" implies there's also a "You Win", but since I believe the rooms are endless, I'd suggest indicating that to the player.
- Dirt accumulated
The "Clean Mop" upgrade says "Your mop picks up 50% less dirt per upgrade." which I thought was a downgrade at first because of the wording.
- In game instructions
I somehow missed the instructions on the itch page and expected instructions in-game. It was only when I re-checked the itch page that I saw how to play.
- Mop not resetting on new room
This matches with what would happen in real life, so it makes sense, but I feel it may be more enjoyable for the dirt on the mop to be reset to none when starting the next room. It currently has a little extra step of needing to rinse out the mop at the beginning of the room, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, as it adds an extra layer of difficulty.
- Timer sound glitch
The timer sound starts (but doesn't progress) on pause screens as well as the in-between levels screens where you get an upgrade.
- Odd static in HTML embed version
This might be something on my end only, or it might be a result of the embed rather than any fault of the game, but there's weird static when running the game from the itch embed. This static isn't there in the download.
- Mouse cursor location
I was wondering why I sometimes couldn't pick up trash or turn off clocks. It was only until I started accidentally picking up the bucket next to an item that I realized, it's not just the location of the player, it's also the location of the mouse cursor that determines which item you're focusing on. With the mouse controlling the mop, it seems obvious looking back at it, but in the moment I thought something wasn't working properly.
I hope that wasn't too much of me to say. At the end of the day, it's your game. It'll be exciting to see whats in store for the future of this. Even if there aren't any updates planned for the future, I'm glad I was able to enjoy this as thoroughly as I did. Well done! :D