Congrats on finishing your game!
I almost quit during the second day because the gameplay loop just felt a tad tedious. Having to hold down shift felt mandatory, and the move speed upgrade felt superior to every other option. And getting reset to base stats (I think?) wasn't great either. But I'm so glad I stuck it out. The slow burn for the story was almost too slow, but I was pleasantly surprised. A very cool hook and tone shift, especially for a jam game!
There are some cool ideas here, but they needed more time for playtesting and polishing. During part 1, the move speed just didn't feel great. The watering method is an accessibility concern (rapid button presses = no good). It just feels a little tedious. And during Part 2, the move speed and controls are too slow and clunky. I understand trying to sell the feel of a newly sentient, gelatinous monster, but it still needs to feel good to play and control. And the dialogue beeps were too loud and grating. Those should be very soft and fall in priority behind the rest of the audio.
That being said, I really enjoyed playing this one. The scientist sprites were charmingly awkward. The small mustache and glasses changes being the only differences between a lot of characters worked well to sell the controlled, clinical atmosphere of a research lab. And the small changes to the scenery between labs were a nice touch.
Again, congrats on your jam game. Please keep making games!