Yeah, I feel you! I actually got a good start on my game this year (as opposed to prior YuriJams) and I still had to cut a lot of what I'd planned. But imo it's so much better to cut and get something done than to stick to a large design and never finish.
I really enjoy mini games in most genre, honestly. Especially in narrative games I feel like a well-integrated mini game can really enhance the role playing experience. But a lot of the VNs I've played (and even some that I've worked on) the mini games just feel tacked on -- I really liked how yours melded with the story so well!