This is great feedback, thank you. That bit about the word tome is exactly what I'm going for—I like when games have mysteries that unfold as you play, which I'd do more of in a fuller version. I'd pack it full of lore and secrets.
Good notes on what felt unbalanced about the final upgrade, too.
For the theme, I was shooting for books in books, shapes in shapes, patterns in patterns, games in games. I am always really curious how people vote on theme. I saw other devs spelling out in their descriptions how their game fits the theme, that's probably smarter than what I did. Especially given the no-text in game lol.
Thank you for playing and for sharing your thoughts!