Some responses to this excellent and thorough comment.
-I worked on player feedback for what felt like half the jam, so I'm glad it paid off. I wanted this to be my "juiciest" game ever and... it is. Definitely
-Thanks for the complement on the UI. I don't think it's one of my strong points as a designer, I have a notion that having UI is probably a sign you're not communicating the information in the right place, but it is admittedly sometimes unavoidable.
-I actually had designs for 10 levels sketched out, but after I had this many, I sort of thought "You know, this is about the right length for a jam game." I wanted them to continue increasing in complexity and challenge, of course.
-I'm glad you liked the story elements! Hollow Knight and Elden Ring, that whole vibe of evocative less-is-more storytelling really had an effect on me and pushes me to try and craft a story and world in the tightest constraints possible.
-I pretty much agree on all three of your 'improvables', so I think we see eye-to-eye.
Thanks SevenExtra. I also really dug Tetratonic! Best of luck of in all your video game futures.