I really wanted to run with the idea that restarting the game does not restart the game and instead puts you into the one and only game with a new avatar (and a new page to control it). That first hint is also really important, but doesn't make sense until people progress further into the game. I also want restarting to be consistent regardless of the method used to restart.

What I could do is change the first level into a level selection area where there's a flower for every level unlocked. Though I also like that players think they completely restart the game until they catch up to the point where they did restart. A checkpoint for after the stepping-stone level could also work though.

It's hard to think of puzzles that can match that final puzzle in the game, but I guess a cross-level puzzle could at least come close. If the game remains popular after the game jam finishes I'll look into expanding it a bit.

That is indeed part of the design. I could've easily implemented a button to restart the level, or a button to restart the game, but the choice for F5 and it reloading the page is deliberate. Restarting the game should feel like restarting the game. I actually wrote a custom handler for F5 just to be able to give that warning/confirmation dialogue box. It's all yet more hints to how to solve the last puzzle and should make total sense once you solved it. Did you manage to finish the game?

Wow, half an hour? That's dedication! The solution to the last puzzle requires some serious out-of-the-box thinking. I believe so far only dimuslv managed to solve it, so don't feel bad for not being able to solve it. They have a really good hint in the comment below. A different approach you could try is to play around in the first level trying to break the rule that there is only one game.

Congratulations and thanks! That's a really good hint too.

I was starting to get really worried that no-one would manage to solve it. I really wanted players to take a step back on that level and go over everything with the idea of "wait, that doesn't work, what did I miss?" and get that sense of victory when it finally makes sense and they do solve it. From a puzzle perspective I think it would be better to introduce the final puzzle at the start of the game, so players already know what they're up against when the game's gimmick is being introduced and know that their initial interpretation might not be the right one.

It was halfway into the jam when this idea popped up in my head and I simply had to implement it. I chose a platforming game as the medium, as that seemed to be the easiest to implement while still being enjoyable. Obviously, I focused more on the controls and level design than the art, but it's a design challenge after all. Having only 24 hours left and this being my first game jam, I'm really happy with the result.

I'm aware of that, though this is conscious design choice. There is a reason why you can't restart levels and why refreshing the page is used to restart the game, but I can't tell you without completely spoiling the final puzzle of the game. I have tried to keep this into account though. Most levels get shorter or easier when beaten. Level 3 can be made easier once you've partially figured out the game's core mechanic. I've kept the game short. There's only 7 levels. And the text is not just fluff, but contain hints to solving the final puzzle. So it has it's use for players to be able to read those again.