I agree. Had as many Itch.io games as the next guy, though, over time, I found I'd completed most, if not all, of them I and my friends had begun without them.
That's not a bad thing in demo gaming communities per-se, and we'd done one of those unspoken takeup and playthrough mantras for a while, yet being honest about the world of game development helps productivity the most.
You have good ideas. I know this is a new account, and it's intimidating to comment around all the established accounts with many years, though I think credit is due where it deserves to speak itself to be the support one can hope to be.
The game seems awesome, and both of you seem like authentic developers. I'm sure there are others just as excited.