The animated pixel art here is so polished! I am so impressed by the seamless transition between swimming and treading states, and it looks good even when rotated to swim at odd angles. The water texture is subtle, but also looks awesome!
I know you said that the swim speed based on the mouse distance is unintentional, but that seems like a cool mechanic to explore!
Thanks for submitting! You have a really solid foundation! I would love to see a finished version of this!