Thank you for the in depth feedback! I agree and I actually felt the tension fading sometimes during my playtesting as well. I wasn't sure if it was because the difficulty was too easy in the middle levels, the consistent finger cutting every round, or a combination of both, but I definitely felt that expectations were too easily met in that section, which is an issue for a horror-esque game. I think it may also be because I saved all the tension for the end. As for losing fingers depending on performance, I wasn't sure how to work it in (multiple endings, play until all fingers are lost, etc). My partner suggested a countdown on each puzzle, which I've been thinking about. I'd love to hear your opinion on it!
Unfortunately, the backstory was the part we were going to get to if we had time, along with finger cutouts that accumulated on the floor as you lose them to increase tension :( Definitely agree on that end.
Thanks for playing :)