wow, this feedback is gold, thank you a lot.
Really happy that the movement feels great, I tried to fine tune it a lot. The levels I would say are a little rough around the edges and not definitive, they need a little more polish. Level 1 is the easiest, but when I designed it, it took me like an hour of non-stop grinding to beat it, so don't feel bad about not beating any level.
I want the game to be hard and challenging, but I think I went a little too far. The levels are pretty short once you get the hang of it, the first level takes like 40 sec to beat, 20 sec exploration and 20 sec the escape, so they will be intense but short levels. Think of the Indiana Jones escape scene.
I have plans about the difficulty. I don't want an easy/normal/hard mode, but more of a modular, in-game difficulty choice like an NPC with special items to help you, an armor that gives you extra hitpoints, or receive only 1 damage + 1 sec of extra invincibility frames. Not very fond of items that modify the main mechanics, but maybe boots that let you jump a little higher, or a cape that lets you float/descend slower like in Mario, a sand clock that gives you extra 30 or 60 seconds, and I have other ideas that are a work in progress about the difficulty.
I want the game to be approachable but challenging. It's not my intention for it to feel like a game only for hardcore players/speedrunners, but I do want the player to grind a little on each level to become good at it. Right now the game probably feels like hard mode, and it should be more like a normal mode.
Thanks about the character, it took me a while to get some kind of tough/pirate look.
I want to put some effort into the story, but nothing too fancy or narrative-heavy.
About the soundtrack, sadly I don't know how to compose, so I'm looking into how to find music. I want the music to cheer you up, not add unnecessary tension, something epic or heroic.
Thanks a lot for the feedback. I'll try to add a playground/garden area with a little tutorial explaining the mechanics like running or grabbing, and maybe 2 or 3 easier levels, no bottomless pits, 3/4 extra HP per level, 20 sec to beat them, and enemies a little more spaced out.