Thank you for playing! It's been helpful to get some feedback. As for those cheating items, there's no consequence to using them. It's more of a recommendation, because when the final version of the game releases they'll take the challenge out of the last couple hours. I don't think I'll remove them in the final version though, consider it a reward for finishing early.
Speaking of which, the ending is planned for release by the end of 2021. I'm the only developer and have a full-time job, so it'll be at least half a year. But as soon as the final version is complete I'll upload it here, so keep an eye on this page this page next winter.