The idea was that the lower the amount of jacks the more it’s an action game, and the more the amount of jacks the more it’s a puzzle game. (The hand attack speed decreases with the amount of jacks). It’s kind of difficult to balance it though, because it is cheesable in that precise way you did. Also Jacks cluster a lot and that is kind of a bummer.
The combo timer is a good idea I was thinking about some way to include combos, your suggestion is very interesting, I’d also test that closing a patch will close it forever and make it spawn in another place, so that you HAVE to move.
Anyway, did you find it too hard?