Wow, you're the first person to find this via itch.io! Thanks for the feedback, glad it worked to play with a friend too :)
The game is very short in it's current state until I decide to do more work on it. So I wanted to get a wide range of difficulty jam packed into a short course to exhibit the versatility of the mechanic. Definitely noted though, I'll likely slow the progression later and keep it easier for longer so the game feels more rewarding.