Thank you for this comprehensive comment! I really appreciate the feedback!
First, I am glad you liked the art and feel! I like it, but that doesn't matter if others don't so it feels good to get some validation at this point.
The progression pace has been a conflicting topic for me because the game is supposed to have short runs of about 30 minutes max. This sets it apart from DS in that it needs to become action packed more quickly. Therefore, instead of learning the game as you progress in one run, the player should learn the game by playing multiple runs. This has a similar structure to brotato, risk of rain, etc. It also doesn't come across that well in the alpha due to lack of content, but like those games, mine is supposed to have variation between each run depending on which blueprints you find and which bounties you collect from the "vendor". However, like you say, this style can be overwhelming in the beginning, as you don't have that much time to figure out what everything is for in you first run.
A lot of the same goes for the day/night-cycle, but I have heard from others that the cycle is too short as well, so I will have to take it into account as I progress and do more testing when more content is added.
I completely agree that the goal of the game can be unclear right now, and it has been a difficult part of the design for this alpha. The fact that you made it too the scorpion makes me optimistic though. For the final game I want there to be 3 or 4 portals each run that takes you to other biomes where you have to fight a boss for each biome. There will also be a final boss that you kill to win the game.
Finally, thanks for comparing it to don't starve, I take that as a huge compliment, as I love that game! I believe it will be quite clear that it is different from DS in its final form, but I will keep the warning in mind. It is not my intention to make a clone.
Thanks again for the feedback, this helps a lot! I would love to hear your take on my thoughts as well, especially the part about progression pace!
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oooh, now I see the broader picture! So "Don't Starve but Roguelike" is huuuuge idea! Now you got me really curious how it's gonna turn out!
It will take some time amd playtesting to nail pacing down. It's also something you don't typically do at the beginning because every future change will throw your balance off again and again. So don't worry - it was a general comment for the future consideration. I think this game is already packed for a game jam project! ;)