The puzzles were meant to be difficult but not frustratingly obtuse - that certainly wasn't my aim, and I wouldn't want it to be a problem that hampers with people's fun. :( What I think my problem is is that the puzzles got too difficult too quickly, without much of a learning curve, and that's really not a good game design choice when I sit down and think about the project critically. The secret room puzzle's easy enough when you actually get the cues, but throwing complex Sokoban designs at the player and not making it obvious enough (though I did try to make it as clear as I could without flat-out giving the answer away) that parts of the landscape can be interacted with? That's my bad, and this is why I need comments like this to get better. There can be time later in the game for the tricky, complex Sokoban designs and maps with only the barest of hints - after you've learned in far easier stages what to do. And that's the key I've been missing. This is essentially the equivalent of Petalburg Woods that's been reached plot-wise so far; I shouldn't have been demanding so much from players so early on.
As I've mentioned before, I've been doing mainly under-the-hood hacking on this game lately. Level curve and battles have been the big one (now that the game has 4th and 5th gen moves in it); but puzzles are an important key too. Why would an average, non-puzzle loving person want to keep playing when EVERY PART gets so hard so quickly? It's bad enough you can only heal on certain tiles or through invisible hidden berries, and that there's traps lurking in every corner to make your life miserable. You don't need late-game difficulty puzzles slapped on top of you at the same time.
I appreciate the input, and expect the new beta to feature toned down puzzles (Those who love the puzzles, don't you worry one bit! The hard ones will start to come back when you get further into the game, but it'll be at a more natural rate this time - not everyone's good with puzzles, so slowing the process down will allow these players to learn and get comfortable gradually) and a better level curve - those spearow leveled the Hero up very quickly, more quickly than he really should have been. As for when it will be released? ...No idea of that yet. Knowing me, probably December - but maybe sooner. You never know!