1) This is a text-based slave management game with adult themes, basically a slave harem fantasy simulator. It can be as involving or not depending on how you invest in it. Players often spend many hours optimizing and customizing, but if you skipped that then the game could probably be completed in a few days. In terms of gameplay, the core gameplay loop can be achieved in as little as an hour, but there is a lot to learn and early game can be quite punishing. I'd guess that most beginners spend the first 4-8 hours struggling with the early game. You might get around that by looking for guides, but you could easily spend most of a day just searching the internet for information about how the game works (a fair amount of it is outdated or not accurate). The Strive Discord (https://itch.io/t/284398/discord) is often a good source of information and tips.
2) Story mode provides full access to the game's unique NPCs and a set of quests to guide the player through the game, but starts the player off rather poor. Sandbox mode is better for jumping into the core gameplay and exploring game mechanics without the punishing start.
3) The sequel is still early in development and does not have the same gameplay loop as the first. I have not played it, but it seems to have a different appeal to players.
