Idk if youve already tried this or how it would effect the game, but maybe try swithcing engines? I am also a fellow gamedev and I use unity. looking at this game I thought that if you switched it to unity you would have so much more possibilitys. I know youve probably heard that already, but that is my personal advice. switching to a different engine like unity or unreal will also improve the features you have already.
Thanks for taking the time to write! I've worked with a few other engines before, and my problem is with me. I can't finish a game if I have too much options. I just go bigger and better and more intricate at every turn, getting stuck in details. That's what I love about the extreme restrictions in pico-8 - you can't go overboard.
With that said, there's always a small chance I have opportunity to recreate this as a bigger game, then a full blown engine will have its place for sure!
Thanks again for commenting and playing :)