Welcome to roguelikes :D
This reminds me of the times I was first learning to play NetHack - everything displayed in Matrix-like letters, the whole keyboard is the controls, to know what does what I had to either read a separate book or use the help command which was always ready to overwhelm you with information. It felt like deciphering ancient technology, and I had a blast.
If you have any prior experience with berlinian roguelikes, this game is very obvious, but I can see where does your confusion come from :D