Thanks for your feedback!
this isnt helped by the fact that you dont get tutorials for these minigames before you actually have to play them, and the fact that you cant save at all mid-story means that you cant save scum […] you have to go through the entirety of the chapter again
There should be a little map icon in the pause menu that lets you go into the intermission, where you can teleport to preset points in the scene. They unlock as you go through the scene, and you can teleport whenever you want from this menu. You can also use the X button at the top right of the screen to go back to where you were before you opened that menu. It’s not exactly “saving at any time” but this is what we have right now. Using this, you do not have to go through the entire chapter.
We’re looking into making minigames easier when you’re starting out, but no real idea yet on how it’s going to work.