So glad you had fun with it! I did try tweaking the enemies as they used to be way more troublesome and could really stunlock you, but I do want them to still pose some sort of challenge.
The potions are actually the key to the secret ending. They can heal you or they can be used to help others. People sometimes accidentally throw out money with their trash ;)
The timer at the end is just for people who want to try and beat their time.
You can actually heal using the water fountain/troughs outside the stores so you don't have to rely on potions
Thank you so much for playing! It means the world to me that even one person has played it :)