Hey! I wanted to thank you for taking the time to give such informative feedback. It's not uncommon to try a game on itch for a few minutes and move on, so I really appreciate your input. 😊
At the start of the jam I decided to myself that I wanted to have the style be a bit like a mid-90s game (eg: simple shading, lower resolution/polycount, etc.) I think think you're right about the Awake/Sleep icons being an accessibility issue and I should have prioritized that higher! Games like Metal Gear Solid did a better job with a lower PS1 resolution by sticking to white on black for smaller text:
I agree with you that a tutorial or some ramp-up would help a lot too. Sadly, I felt as though I was juggling a variety of factors (eg: programming, art, music, etc.) throughout the 7 days of the jam. Even a few dialogue boxes or popups explaining things would have helped a lot. Otherwise the player seems a bit aimless (but not in a good way like Star Control II!). The difficulty curve is a bit intentional though; the weaker enemies at the beginning are meant to help you get the basics of combat down. If I have time later, a "post-jam" update might be a good idea.
To help with the learning curve, I've updated the page description with an overview on how to play as well as a few tips. Please let me know if that makes a few things more clear, and thanks again!