yeah that's what i've found - the level puzzle is kinda trash hahah! I do like that higher or lower thing. Very black-jack like and I'm into that. Honestly I think I might look at implementing something like that instead.
I will say, the pile of loot is fairly important because you have lets say 3 loot cards. When you flip the loot cards over the total added value is the amount of loot you get. Which perhaps I didn't make that clear enough. During my initial playtesting I was getting around 25 - 40 gold most games.
Glad to hear those parts were fun, I will try to find a way to accentuate those! Yes, the thief level 1 ability is to escape 1 room per dungeon and continue on! The monsters do not have any HP, you just beat them with your draws.