Hey Fluffy! So excited to play your new prototype!
I had some first-time experience feedback which you may find helpful:
The music is great!
The lighting and dust particle effects are delightful.
So When I left the house the first time, I tried pressing down, but didn't understand why I wasn't moving. Then I realized there was a fence there. (Didn't see it at first.)
Similarly, when I started exploring the caves, when I went up/down the stairs, I sometimes wasn't sure where to move my eyes to find where the player was on the screen.
So it might be a matter of making it obvious where the player ends up on the screen after transitioning to a new map.
The checkpoint sprite felt a bit out of place, maybe because its texture was so grainy and sharp. Maybe if it were like softer balls of light floating up, it would fit in more. I felt like there needed to be some feedback to the player that something happened when you stepped on it (like a sound effect, or a flash).
The rocks blocking the path are a nice touch, but I felt they needed a reason for why they disappeared after a story event.
It wasn't immediately obvious that the mom and dad sprites are the player's parents. Perhaps they can be taller, or the player shorter or more childlike.
All in all, I started playing and was instantly hooked!