It's a take on the theme I haven't seen anywhere else, and I've seen quite a few jam submissions at this point. Nicely done.
I love the idea of a taking a space that you think you "know", but then open up know traversal paths. The fact that you're on a time limit means that you're pressured to skip over the exploration until you've got a safe path back. It all works really well.
The only criticism I have is that if you're going to put the player under that much pressure you have to make sure that the components like physics don't get in the way of the player's run. Games like Minit run with this theme but they have the benefit of that 2d grid precision. Your traversal shortcuts were designed with verticality, so 3d was a must, and it gave you extra work to do in the polish department.
Wonky physics aside, I think the gamble paid off and you delivered something unique and engaging. Best of luck in the jam.
Side note: have you played "The Occupation"? You should try that out if you want to see where this concept could go.