To be honest, I'm not really sure why we got featured since we only placed #160 in the game jam. I honestly thought games like yours would be featured instead! I have no idea how itch.io chooses which projects to showcase.
Viewing post in How Are We Feeling About the Results?
Wish I knew how they pick their games, but my best guess is that they want the games on the main page to be diverse and eye-catching. If it has something that makes it stand out then it's worth the spotlight, regardless of game jams. Your game has both an original concept and a unique artstyle so I'd say it's well deserved :)