Hmm, it's a shame that where this excels (content, fetishes & story) is basically locked behind one of the most difficult and unforgiving puzzle systems I've played. Along with some feature bloat that is just un-necessary. Only reason I am still playing it after like 6 hours is because I am stubborn as fuck and I am yet to solve at least one major puzzle.
However I have supported on Patreon as it seems you have put a lot of time into making it.
Some ideas for how can this be improved?
In-game Memory / Glossary
You could add an in game memory system of key items and their location in each dream world (only after discovered). This would save the player from having to remember the location of 50 different items or write notes in a google doc (which I have been doing).
This could also be extended to recipes (i.e. flashlight + 2 batteries)
It is currently way too difficult to remember the location of every item in 2 different regions and what they do, this would be a great quality of life change and not reduce the difficulty so much.
Directions, Explanations or Objectives
I know, I know, the main point is you're supposed to discover for yourself, is there different sequences or one straight linear path?
Does every item have a reason to be there? A lot is unexplained at it just makes the game really difficult to navigate.
Maybe an achievement system with simple explanations of what to do could fix this?
Save Points in Dream World
It'd be nice to have specific points in the dream world that save your progress, so when you enter you are not doing the same collecting process you did the previous night over and over till you're up at 5am losing your sanity like your in-game character.
Either that or allow saving in the dream world like the new system you're creating, so I can save scum
Completely remove RNG
RNG elements, i.e. items from chests in the manor, which dream you start in have no place in a puzzle game.
It completely defeats the purpose of having to memorise item locations and layouts. Imagine you get all the way through 90% of a puzzle to then get hit with some bad RNG and have to restart... it's not fair on the player at all; it is infuriating and serves no purpose other than lengthening an already long process.
Maybe give an option to choose which dream world to start in.
Other Less Important Quality of Life Improvements
- Auto-cook from fridge
- Auto-skip to sleep
- Skip intro dreams / SoL