LOVE IT.
This was my favorite game in the entire jam so far! I am super happy I played it!
You nailed the atmosphere. It has a creepy feeling. I understood what you were going for, and everything fits together very well.
The pixelated look and graininess of the entire game combined with the ambiguous sound ambiance creates a feeling of dread that I love. The game isn't really scary, (except for the boss) but it fits so well together that I can't complain. Maybe the character portraits are a little to cartoony but that did not distract from the overall experience. 5 stars.
I originally wanted to say that the game could use more tension, but you surprise me with the boss that came out of nowhere, and I found myself panicking trying to figure out where he is and managing my inventory at the same time. It was hectic in a good way! I was beginning to think I was the only one who put a boss in my game that took some effort to take down.
The game was not cryptic at all, I understood how everything worked perfectly. The only problem where things might have been an issue is that based from my experience, I did not see anything that explained how to upgrade your stats, nor that the menu's were hot-keyed to C and V, but I had no problem figuring it out. I would say I figured out the controls and upgrade process reasonably early without too much hassle, if any at all. :)
Now for the cons. This game is not the most original idea. Don't get me wrong, you do get points for having a certain atmosphere most dungeon crawlers don't have, and the fact that you have a great functioning RPG system in your game with actual upgradable stats and inventory system is technically impressive. However the actual gameplay isn't original, nor is it the most in depth. Considering what you are going for, maybe there is something extra you could add to the gameplay that makes it stand out? Maybe a monster that stalks you that you can't kill? Maybe after a certain amount of time has passed? I don't think that has been done in a dungeon crawler before. I dunno know, you decide.
Despite that, great game! I love it to death. I wasn't frustrated with it, and I was cautious the entire time. You nailed everything else, the atmosphere, the controls, the graphics... if this were a full game, I would pay money for it.