You're very welcome! You've clearly put a lot of thought into the game and it shows.
The throwback mechanic definitely works as a hook for the players like you said. The progression from just trying to understand how the game works to solving the first puzzle is really engaging. I also did like how the throwback mechanic was its own reset function. Any time I got lost I could just move in a direction I knew was incorrect to start over.
Again, really well done!