I'm glad you liked it, that was exactly the vibe I was going for.
As for the twist, you're absolutely right. It was a decision made to save space, but it didn't actually serve that purpose because I had to explain it elsewhere, and it would have been clearer the way you suggest. I might make an extended version or something like that after the jam is over.
Thanks for taking the time to read my adventure. If you decide to run it at some point, I'd love to hear how it went.