Wow, thanks a lot Felix for such a thoughtful comment! It means the world to a first-timer to ship a game and get real feedback from an actual player.
You're right that the map can feel disorienting at first — an on-screen arrow is a solid idea to help players get their bearings. Actually, my original design was to start players with no apps unlocked — the "blind treasure hunt" was meant to be the first phase of gameplay, forcing you to wander and search just like the real-life panic of a dying phone. The plan was to earn app unlocks later. I even wanted to do roguelike-style procedural map generation, but that didn't work out, and by the time I got to layout design I was running out of time. So I just unlocked all apps from the start — which made the opening less curated than I envisioned.
Another mechanic I wanted to emphasize more is the Shift charge (sprint) bar — since it doesn't refill, deciding when to burn it is meant to be a core strategic decision, not just a convenience. But honestly, the current tuning doesn't make it impactful enough; it ended up feeling optional rather than critical. That's a balance I'd definitely revisit.
Anyway, I shipped it, and now I have my first real player who actually played and left a comment. That alone makes the whole jam worth it. Thanks again Felix!