itch.io

Understandable that you don't want to force the player into doing multiple runs each time just to set things up for victory. Maybe just have an item that is implied to do it instead?

To give an example, it's largely considered a paradox, but is very often used and very popular in media, the whole 'saving yourself' thing when time traveling. Instead, you could potentially have a blueberry in the way that 'looks familiar' and just code it to look like the player as a blueberry. Then have an item after that is some kinda time item? An hourglass I guess? then you have it so the player has to put on the blueberry amulet, gets blueberried, then uses the hourglass and 'someone'(themself) pushes them and that somehow helps you go forward.

Mind you I don't even really like the idea much myself, but just trying to make suggestions!