Hey Lamoot,
Thanks so much for playing, and for taking the time to provide all that feedback. Really appreciate that. <3
About stepping into water: This might come as a shocker now, but I agree! It's an overly punishing mechanic, especially so early in the game. Later on, in the full release, you'll encounter icy patches on the Plateau of Leng, where I definitely wanna keep that mechanic, as it makes thematic sense there. I do not intend to push another Demo Patch any time soon, though, but for the final release I'm definitely gonna do address the Water situation. Thanks for bringing that up!
About Bashing Doors: apparently that's a bug, the game shouldn't be telling you there are perfect odds, before you've unlocked Kicks in the first place. You'll be unlocking Kicks on the 3rd stage, shortly after meeting Wisteria Widdershin. Thanks for bringing that to my attention, will add it to the "Known Issues"-Tab.
About that Door Locking Mechanic: Sorry you're having a bad experience, but this is a legacy feature from the original game "Die Gemäuer von Kalawaum", that "Calaworm" is based on. I agree that it's a bit gamey, but it is also the prime source of many puzzle situations in the handcrafted stages, which will become relevant after first two Tutorial Stages: you'll be thinking and planning on how to bring certain Keys to another place without losing them before. The whole game revolves around memorizing layouts and remembering which Keys to use where, as to not waste them.
Mind, that I nerfed A LOT about this, compared with the original, which was utterly merciless in enforcing that mechanic:
• In "Calaworm" there's the odd random bonus Key created on every stage.
• After bashing a Door that you accidentally locked yourself, there's a chance to retrieve the lost Key.
• I added the Warning-prompt.
• Kicks weren't a thing in the Original.
• Other mechanics like the Echoing Recall may aid you, in case you accidentally locked yourself in.
• Then there are Provisions and the Sprinting-mechanic (and a mysterious Ember Rift-mechanic in the full release), which also bring tons of utility in that regard.
So, yeah, this is going to stay. :-)
I really hope that clears up a bit and will put you at ease for now. Thanks again for your thoughts. <3 Will do my best to improve the experience, based on your concerns. I do indeed consider every piece of criticism carefully, take it to heart even, as the game wouldn't be in its current state without player's providing valuable feedback.