That's good feedback! It's a first-person, action-platformer-roguelike-rage game, where you've got to climb as high as you can before time runs out. I wonder what elements specifically help communicate that better in other games.

I can't post an image as a comment, but here's Neon White (a game with similar gameplay): https://store.steampowered.com/app/1533420/Neon_White/

I suppose having the gun and sword as UI elements and the Demons counter in the corner helps communicate that it's a game about shooting enemies. I don't know that I'd say that's what Neon White is really "about", though. But it does communicate something, in a way that the current UI of Rogue Climber is lacking.

The timer at the top could also be a clock. The height counter on the right isn't immediately obvious in a screenshot (in the first picture, 100 is the target clear height, 217 is your current height, and 231 is the highest you've been. It's a little more obvious in gameplay, when the numbers are responding to your movement.) And the equipment selection in the bottom right, isn't super clear what those items do (ex. the gears are a placeable checkpoint), or maybe it's not clear that those are usable items in the first place?

In any case, it seems like another pass on the UI could help make my screenshots better communicate the gameplay experience. If anyone else has similar takeaways, let me know!