Just a followup that I did manage to finish the game. The getaway was very tense, but I managed it! I still didn't find the other two gems, but overall I think the game was very nearly the perfect length for its content. I would have started to get tired of drawing the map if there was very much more of it, at least without a few QoL improvements like being able to draw straight lines or annotate with letters/symbols. The skull was an amusing companion (the humor reminded me a bit of Arthur from Buried in Time (Journeyman Project 2)) and I liked the variety of puzzles. I'd love to see more in this vein.