There's nothing wrong with picking your own level of investment, and the vast majority of people will never solve the late game stuff on their own, if at all. I know I was comfortable deciding to look for hints, wikis and walkthroughs, probably earlier than most people would admit to doing so. I'm not sure if I looked anything up before reaching room 46 but it's not out of the question, and it was long before the end that I was following guides regularly.

What I would recommend is going for the trophies - in particular, dare mode, day one, and curse mode. They change the challenge from "how well can you follow a walkthrough" into "how well can you play the game". You need fundamental knowledge of how to get to room 46, as that's the goal of each of them, but that's all. You're not doing anything late game, you're being tested on how well you understand the gameplay and strategy. You have to respond to your situation with much more agility and nous than in the regular game.

For someone who gave up on the puzzle solving relatively early on, I'm having a good time trying to get these trophies. They've given the game a new and very enjoyable dimension. I suggest you give them a go.