Hi Halfbar!
Thank you for the time and effort you put into such an insightful and spot-on observation. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but I'm starting to realize that video games are, ultimately, a reflection of the people who create them.
I had this strong urge to build a complex system of interactions that would encourage players to discover its mechanics little by little. But instead, I ended up creating a dense experience with a learning curve full of friction.
The real challenge is exactly what you pointed out: introducing the mechanics gradually. And that's proving to be much harder than I ever imagined (it's almost impossible to escape the creator's blindness!).
I genuinely appreciate the honesty and kindness of this community, as well as the attention to detail in your feedback. I believe this is what makes a creative community stronger and inspires all of us to put even more care into both our own projects and those of others.
Best!