Thank you for the kind words, and for taking the time to leave them! 😊
I think the point about it potentially being more engaging to academic types is more than fair, as I studied environmental history at uni and love that stuff. I'm hoping that this won't mean it's unapproachable to those without the same interests/knowledge (having the protagonist be new to such topics and making certain text optional will hopefully help here), while also having a chance to get players acquainted with/interested in discussions around consumption, dispossession, and degrowth. As you say, getting the right balance on the minigame so that it feels thematically appropriate while still being absorbing rather than tedious will be a big part of the challenge!
Your pixel art looks great by the way! I just had a quick play of Engulfed and the sprites are cute and animation looks really professional. Reassuring to know I can reach out if I have any stumbling points! Now, brb, I'm off to say nice things about your (excellent) ideation submission...