Thanks for playing!
The dash was mainly used for evading the boss attacks, being an attack was sort of a bonus. Try dashing up! It should make the second and third bosses easier too! I think we could’ve better communicated that the dash can be used in more directions, might update it after the jam.
If you try the game again, try using the upwards dash + spin to catch the boss. At least for me and some of the playtesters, it can be quite fun chasing the boss and dealing tons of damage on top of him!
Thanks for the playing and giving feedback!