Love this idea. I don't think you needed to excuse anything before the game started! Let the mechanics play out and the player can discover meaning for themselves. It is a bit complicated though. I do understand you're in a bit of bind for a jam, where if you don't say that there's "no scores, no puzzles to solve, and no optimal choices" then people will complain about it. If you do say that, then it perhaps robs the "choices" you do make of even the potential feeling of impact. I think you ultimately made the right choice, prompting people for what to expect. And I did like the game, the writing is great!
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Thanks! Well, from my past jam experience, some people said they were confused by what they were supposed to do. Since, in the end, people play games to have a good time, and our personal time is limited, I prefer allowing people to skip this game as soon as possible if it's not what they will enjoy. But yeah, I understand it kind of 'spoiled' the whole thing