Thanks a lot for playing and for your detailed feedback! The escape mechanic is designed to be used as a "last resort", for example, when the enemy is about to deliver a lethal hit. Currently, I'm not a fan of a strategy solely based on avoiding combat, which is why it's disadvantageous. Additionally, there are specific enemies where escape is the only option. As for the "currency and shop" issue, it's definitely something I noticed during testing, I'll work on balancing it better in the upcoming versions!
Fair enough! Makes sense that escape remains a last-ditch attempt to not die rather than a reliable option. In hindsight, I can't recall any rogue-like game where avoiding combat all-together was ever a viable strategy. Most of the time you either get stuck in a situation where you MUST defeat the foe/foes in the area before moving on, or the game punishes you for doing escaping (like how retreating in Darkest Dungeon causes stress on all the party members). Thank you for the response!
Also, if you have the time, I'm curious if you drew inspiration from any particular game.