Elkian

Sorry if this has already come up/been handled, but I have a suggestion. I think it would be a good idea to have a simple color palette swap option in-game, for villagers at the very least. Aesthetic control is a small but meaningful element that can make the game feel more... I dunno, comfortable? Accessible? to a lot of players. Darkest Dungeon is the only example I have in mind, but it's not the first game to do something like this. Even like 4 or 5 options would really give a sense that the village is ours, not just one we happen to control. (On a slightly more controversial note, having multiple skin tone options I think is probably a good idea.)

Agreed. Free demos are a great way to generate interest and reel in potential players who were interested but unsure if they wanted to commit to getting the full game! I understand that by the end of development the demo may differ enough from the final game that it doesn't feel like an accurate portrayal but keeping some kind of demo content is a good idea. And I think it's worth considering: there's a good chance that by the time the game comes out, a lot of players will have developed an emotional bond to the existing demo, inaccurate or not.