Ended two runs as of this comment, and I cannot believe how well put together this is. It really feels like I'm in the trenches with someone I don't want to lose, the two of us being ground to dust together. Every witch encounter is a genuine choice. Can I fight this one? Should I just move on and eat the HP hit? And even when you take your wins, and your stats start to snowball, you're reminded that you're just getting stronger so you can fulfill your grim promise.
With a very simple set of mechanics Gnats has elegantly crafted a tragic race to bottom with the most important person in the world. It's positively apocalyptic. I love it. Take a bow, or go get a sweet treat, or something.