When I first played the game, I also struggled a lot. I just couldn’t beat Momiji after several attempts, the game felt too difficult (in terms of encounters, money earned, losing half your money and all your consumables on death), and the walk back to the boss was very frustrating. It really was a shame, because everything else looked great. But now, the post-jam update (and a change of mindset) have solved all of these frustrations. So great job there.
Regarding the update, the balancing is very welcome and the game’s difficulty is more manageable now. I can only add that there were a couple of skills I didn’t use, and I ended up using only a few items from Kosuzu (mostly bombs), but they were very situational.
Regarding the mindset, thanks to the comments here and the discussion in the server, I realized that I had the wrong approach. I was just too used to grindy turn-based RPGs. Instead, this is a game where you should use your resources liberally, and you have to be smart about which skills you use. The resource management and lack of grinding make combat more engaging, because you have to be more careful, and with the update, it didn’t get to a point where it felt too repetitive or difficult.
The rest of the content, is, of course, fantastic. The music is very cool. The writing is funny and it has great lines -- Hina’s stand out in particular. I loved those little moments between Hina and Nitori, and Yukari’s cryptic words. The art style, sprites, and character and enemy designs are unique and varied. Sanae with sneakers and Hatate with pants are awesome choices. I hadn’t heard of the Memphis pyramid (non-American here) but the way it was handled was very funny and not once did it feel out of place.
With the update, this is a game that anyone can enjoy to its fullest, and it really deserves it.