Thank you! FG is absolutely a passion project. We know we're making something eclectic, and that makes it all the more delightful when it does tickle someone's fancy. Seeing what we've made chewed over in such detail is a huge treat for us!
You are correct that many of the features of Episode 1 are "tutorial" moments. Aside from the debate sequences (which are a core mechanic), our aim is to keep puzzles and "minigames" light enough that they don't bog down the experience, but existent enough to give some texture. Of course, when designing these sequences we try to offer alternate solutions as well - we know it's the story that people are here for, and we never want to gatekeep progress entirely just because someone isn't very good at Tower of Hanoi.
As for the decision menu, you can actually switch to a more utilitarian alternate in settings, trading out the scrolling one-option-at-a-time list for a static one where all choices are visible at once! I prefer the more basic and pragmatic UI myself, but others hunger for that visual flare, so I included both in the game.
To be honest, the map selection is probably one of the most complicated and troublesome screens I've built (having undergone more revisions than most other features over development) and definitely the most haunted by the trials of responsive design. It's not impossible that I'll rework it in the future, but my current plan is to leave it as it is and see if I receive more complaints/the parts I don't like about it still bug me down the line. So no promises that it's going away, but if you wanted to message me more specifics about what makes it your mortal enemy, that could be useful data for me.