Ok folks, I think this one finally warrants a 0.x.0 version bump. I got a massive amount of feedback over the weekend, which has been truly awesome, and a huge thank you goes out to everyone who added helpful reviews, posted discussion comments, and even commented on youtube play videos. I read everything and while I may not use every idea I take them all in.
The biggest change here is that I'm introducing a progression system I call Scale. This isn't a stat-boost meta-progression or anything like that, but rather a system of card and starting configuration unlocks. The idea is mainly to not overwhelm new players with too many choices, as well as to reward continued play with new strategies. I've balanced it so that a single full play-through should unlock pretty much all of the previous starting configuration options, and just a few more should unlock most of the content that was previously available from the start.
Since I don't like to take without giving, many new things have been added that can be unlocked. First, there are now six unique snakes. and they now all have a special ability in addition to just having stat differences. For even more customization, there are now a few different starting relics available. These things together should make it possible to play the game very different ways based on your preferences.
To make it easier to complete multiple playthroughs, a save/continue system has also been added so you can set a game aside and pick it up later.
In addition to all this, many smaller tweaks have been made based on feedback. Bomb explosions now have a visual effect, traps are much easier to see (and the fire blast trap has been removed since it blends in too much with blood splatter), and have had safegaurds added to prevent from spawning in ways that would force the player to move over them (like fully blocking a corridor). Enemy spawners also now always show their ladder so that they don't look too similar to the spinning blade trap.
New Features
Added a new achievement and unlock progression system.
Added persistent save support for continuing active runs.
Added selectable starting snakes, starting minions, and starting relics.
Added achievement popups when new unlocks are earned.
Added an unlock progress panel to show earned and in-progress achievements.
Progression and Unlocks
Added long-term unlocks based on lifetime score.
Added minion-family progression for zombies, skeletons, ghosts, and spiders.
Added unlockable snakes: White Snek, Blue Snek, Red Snek, Black Snek, and Purple Snek.
Added unlockable starting minions and starting relics.
Added unlock requirements for several advanced minion upgrades.
New Snake Types
Green Snek: eating food pauses decay for a short time.
White Snek: eating enemies at full health can grow the snake.
Blue Snek: gems grant bonus XP.
Red Snek: eating enemies briefly increases minion damage.
Black Snek: the front minion gains damage based on snake length.
Purple Snek: empty minion slots can hold extra items.
Gameplay Changes
Snake length now increases your score.
Improved trap placement so traps are less likely to cluster together unfairly.
UI and Visuals
Overhauled the run setup screen with previews and locked/unlocked selections.
Added new UI panels for achievements, unlock progress, and end-of-level results.
Improved pickup lighting with item-specific colors.
Updated several icons and sprites.
Fixes and Improvements
Improved enemy eating logic to prevent enemies from being eaten multiple times at once.
Improved projectile cleanup when projectiles expire from range.
Added proper impact effects for explosive projectiles.