itch.io

Don't be sorry. I've seen other bullet hells that do the same thing, so you're not necessarily doing anything wrong. It's just something I personally never like in any game like that, because I try to conserve bombs and special attacks for when things really get haywire. I learned about the suicide trick after a few tries; I normally only died because I'd crash into a straggler out of nowhere (I think they're the ones that hone in on you). But I did figure it out and used it in the later stages. That one's a good concept to keep. 

The thing to remember about puzzles is that the ones that do best are the ones that you can figure out in-game. Remember that a player is already working on figuring out your game. If they need to take a break and leave the game to go find information about a puzzle, that could make it more tedious for them. I do understand wanting to add fun lore in, and it's not a bad thing to do. But IF you do, the better part of valor is to find a way that the players learn that information naturally. It'll make the optional things more fun to try and it won't feel so jarring for the player. Hints are a good way to do it, but if you want to be sneaky, subtlety is the best! It's fun to think of ways to sneak in information that makes the player go "...WAIT A MINUTE! I saw this! I have to go back and read it!"

I think the reason it was so well-received is because it was a concept no one else went with. I don't think any of us thought about looking at it that way. That's the fun of these jams. You come across a bunch of different ideas that help you see new ways of looking at a specific genre.