Hey! Thanks for playing!
Our small team have some arguing about this competative side.
From one hand it is moody and player don't want to be in rush, from other - if we have to have a high score, competativeness is on the table by the design. There is a lot of speed run strategies you can use and we have added some secret locations with valuable loot through the level, so finding an optimal run is a good option to have fun in the game.
In any case, we are gratefull for your comment, so detailed and thoughtful.