I really loved the puppet animation, as well as the designs of the in-game characters and monsters.
I like the unique goal of building stress for joy but avoiding defeat. The game does a poor job of providing a clear tutorial or learning curve, however.
Pro Tip
Don't forget to use the sword powerup to get rid of the skeletons at the final battle!
Potential Story Spoilers Ahead
The story ended up being a very mixed bag. Takeshi's relationship and what he does to make his little brother happy is beautiful.
The way he treats his friend, Erika, is almost depressing. He depicts her as an intentionally annoying monster in his game, and he only apologizes to her in his own thoughts. This is never resolved, and somehow she doesn't acknowledge the "Erikagoyle", even when helping Tskeshi directly with the game.
His relationship with his classmate, Yosuke, is much more well done. The reason for his initial feelings toward him seem justified, albeit immature. Takeshi and Yosuke seem to get a bit of romantic subtext, and I really liked that.
What was really sad, though, is the ending. It's very cut and dry; nothing really happens. It's the shortest part of the story, and it leaves you feeling like it wasn't worth focusing on. In the end, I wanted more thrills.