Thank you for your feedback! I've had a real problem in the past with making my games more wordy, and I made a much bigger effort this time to make all but the most important cutscenes optional. Upon looking back I do agree that the bonding could have been perhaps the night before round 1 instead. Thank you so much for your feedback!!
Unsure if you wanted more lore, but each character has an optional 3 conversations each and every time you talk to them. Sort of as a reward for exploration. I'm glad you liked it!