Thanks for the comment!
The level represents how many times you've had to upgrade, and you can eventually increase the score requirement per level. The score is just how many times you've collected the coin.
I didn't use any templates! I made the entire game, including UI controls, within the jam period, all through the PICO-8 editor. I was really happy with how I managed to make the UI work, I might steal it from myself for a later game.