Thank you for such a detailed review, I really appreciate that!
I tend to believe in people intelligence, so tutorial only explains two not-so-obvious yet fundamental mechanics. For me it's more fun to figure things out rather than get all the explanations.
But you have a good points that tutorial does not properly convey the importance of moving slowly, and that punishment is always much greater than any of the rewards. Sorry for making your experience that frustrating! Maybe it would be better to put "easy mode" option right in the main menu rather than on continue screen after the second game over.