Thanks everyone who has given feedback to the demo and the game in general.
It made me realize that the game and the player need a stronger goal and direction.
The main concept behind the game is meditation, and having a goal in meditation is the opposite of what you want to do. Having said that, a game without an obvious goal will never get any attention. I need to balance my vision of the game with the reality of gamers.
So I am leaning more into story elements:
1. Call of the Light/meteorite: There is a light or something visual in the desert that the player should go towards
2. The watcher in the dunes: A dark figure that represents the player's shadow and ego that shows itself.
3. The echo of the Seeker: Letters and things left by other seekers/dwellers of the desert who have been on a similar journey.
To flesh out the world building and give it history, I will have:
1. Cave drawings from a past era (stone age) that have also been on a similar journey.
2. Ancient temples from a past civilization
3. Bones from dead animals that tell a story/poetry.
And on top of that we have the player with the most important story: their own. This is told
In the Meditation that helps the player progress in the desert.
In player dreams that enforce these lessons, but also flashbacks from the life before: a vapid life of boring work, shallow social life and buying things to be happy.