I laughed so much! This is such a funny game :D  It is also very well put together. The puzzles did actually require us to work - I like that.  And I don't think the game is punishing at all - it is just loyal to the premise (plus, we do have the option to save the game, so nothing is lost).
I must admit though, despite the allusions to the empress, I don't think it fits the jam's theme a lot. 

 [spoiler alert]
Minor concerns:
During the detective game, I originally guessed the maid, because she said she was preparing a shower and not a bath. I don't think you can prepare a shower.
Related to this - guessing the maid doesn't kill you. I did get the warning from the alien that she is going to kill me, but the death sequence is not triggered.
Edited to add: a friend of mine also played the game, and guessing the wife doesn't kill you either (don't know if it's the same with the rest of the NPCs). In addition, when trying to suspect the Cook or the Guard, the prompt says 'are you sure you want to write "the Butler" on the note?' instead of the relevant NPC's name.

There are some good things to like in Date or Escape.

I loved the chill music and the general vibe the game offers. It gives a nice mood for when you want to relax and unwind with a browser game.

One thing I did struggle with is the amount of text you have to read and re-read as you are searching for keys and accidently click the same place you already searched. Perhaps a workaround could be something like after the player has read it once, if they check it again you could have a Yes/No choice if you want to read it again (since you may forget clues).

Overall it was a chill little experience so thank you for making and sharing this game.

I enjoyed the writing and the puzzles, though they are easier in hindsight. Your dialogue especially is very fun and I really liked some of the easter eggs. I am looking forward to the full release ^^

I missed you at the Pirate Jam, but I’m glad I caught your game here! I loved it-your dialogue has a great sense of humor, and I had a blast reading it.

The puzzles were challenging, especially the locker one! It took me a while to figure it out, but it was so simple in hindsight, haha.

Is this really your first RPG Maker project? You did an amazing job! Everything felt smooth, and I didn’t run into any issues, so kudos on a solid execution.

Overall, I really enjoyed it! The game has a lot of charm and kept me entertained the whole way through. I do wish we got to see more of the alien, though. I would’ve loved more interactions beyond just the puzzles, and maybe some extra artwork to bring things to life even more.

Great work, and thanks for sharing!