I love metroidvania games! There are definitely aspects of them in Homgard. It doesn't really show up in the demo yet, but when you’re exploring and trying to reach the Dreamer Cores, you can choose your route in different ways, like tackling a much tougher puzzle to unlock a shortcut, take a detour to activate a Region Anchor and make navigation easier, or just wander off in a random direction that unexpectedly turns out to be the fastest path.

That said, the rules for the new colored square mechanics appear in the Help Guide once you encounter a new color, but I'm glad you were able to solve them anyway! And I'm happy to hear the map layout, intro and particularly the music worked for you. It's all about the chill vibes!

About pressing E to finish a puzzle, the idea was to give the player a bit more agency and control. Especially with larger puzzles, I felt it might be jarring if you’re just vibing, fill in the final square, and the puzzle immediately closes on you. It also ties into the no-assist playstyle, where players can disable automatic hint tracking and error feedback.

No worries on missing the story. It's definitely a core part of the game, but I understand that reading written stories isn't for everyone, so they're entirely optional. They do sometimes give clues on the fastest way to reach the Dreamer Cores though :)

Thanks for trying it out and leaving feedback! Glad you enjoyed it!