Of course! And you are hitting the nail right on the head that's exactly the thought process we had going into it.
I wish I could that is secret technique but unfortunately the best way to do improve this is just making more games. It helps to make games in the same genre too as you can directly see the improvements.
The core of what you are curious about is mostly likely our system that lights up the world. I think a big factor on why it feels very addictive and rewarding is the amount of different ways to interact with objects that are at their core very similar. For example someone eats a cookie by a tree it lights up, but if enough people from one house eat cookies and return home that house lights up. On the surface they seem very similar they accomplish the same end goal of producing hearts and being lit up. But I think the subtle differences in how they operate make it feel very alive and addictive.
I hope that clears it up and answers your questions :) thank you for being so interested in our game!!