The game is quite nice, I like the aesthetic of it, the chara design is in the style I like the best for retro games (yep, I like more the in-world version of characters than their dialogue counterpart, but both are nice.).
I like the main character though we don't have a lot of time with them.
And of course I like the concept that made me unable to not play it.
However this project end up being in the end, I hope the concept is pushed to the extreme, because while it is nice to have maze and other thing of the sort where the character is helpless, it was a bit too much of "no other way" (I mean, kinda).
I think it may be easy enough to let the possibility to "go back", though it would only lead to a new place that is still a maze.
It would still be a maze, that you may have avoided entirely with another path, but a maze with several exits.
Though I enjoyed the diversity in narrative text about the doors locked or not being doors anymore or disappearing behind you, I hope that same diversity will be used for new paths for those who always tries the least obvious way (and even more, used to trap or surprise or challenge these players).
Anyway, good luck you two with your project !