Wow, thanks for the extremely comprehensive feedback!
Incorporating the theme was definitely one of our weak points for this jam, our design iterations carried us further from the theme than I had realized until it was too late lol.
We have a post jam update ready to go that addresses a lot of the problems with the player's stats and feedback. We also tweaked the boss's hitboxes and patterns. We're just waiting for the jam to end before we publish it.
It's interesting to hear your thoughts on the snowman, that boss in particular has been a little bit divisive! Some people seem to love it and others have struggled with it. We decided to add a more distinctive 'failed hit' sound, and we're brainstorming ways to make the pillar mechanic more obvious. But that boss could definitely stand to be streamlined!
Thank you very much for taking the time to write this post! This kind of feedback is super valuable to us because it helps us see the game from an outside perspective. Thanks for playing!