Hello - I'd like to first say thank you for streaming my game.
I'd also like to apologize for the frustrating controls.
The original intention with the 'hands' was to make a system that completely replaced a traditional user interface - your left hand acting as your 'inventory' and your right hand acting as your 'currently equipped item'.
I wanted to experiment with something unique that also required no 'context-sensitive' inputs. I feel that within the genre of survival horror there is a bit more freedom to subvert control standards.
I intended to cause the player to 'fumble' and feel a degree of stress when frantically attempting to use an item while being chased by a creature.
Unfortunately, as you know, I wasn't able to achieve the careful balance of making the in-game management of items just stressful enough without making the control scheme itself deeply frustrating.
I had very little time to improve on this system - due to the game jam's two week duration - and I had precious little feedback during development. I got so used to the way it worked that I didn't even realize it was obnoxious to use.
As far as the world itself being somewhat confusing - the game is not meant to be completed in 20 minutes the first time you play it. You explore, fail, and repeat until you've learned how to do the entire sequence in 20 minutes. Outer Wilds was a big inspiration of mine.
Regarding the issue where the green key was stuck under planks - I'm really sorry. That issue is something I've known about, but haven't been able to fix yet - ATROPOS is on the backburner for me at the moment.
During the stream you mentioned that you wanted to know how others reviewed ATROPOS. Here's a link to the reviews I received during Cosmic Horrors Jam.
I've also recorded a playthrough for you that includes the ending, if you're still curious. There are multiple ways to complete every 'objective' in ATROPOS, so this is only one way you could have completed the game.
Finally - I'm sorry for causing you such frustration. I hope you gleaned at least some enjoyment from the parts that were playable.
I've been a casual fan of yours since your deep rock galactic co-op with Vinesauce years ago - despite the negative reception, I still really appreciate you taking the time to check out ATROPOS.
-Shrine Dynamics