The Xiphos was added late when I was building the demo - I added it without giving it as much thought as I should. I want to adjust it so no player feels obligated to follow a single dominant strategy, but if something is powerful and fun, I want to preserve that fun! I still need to figure out how I'll do that.
Currently my plan for Infernal Castle of Tickling is to distribute it the same way I'm distributing Violet Witch Trials now!
My hope is that eventually I can afford to move away from that model, with development funded by patrons. That would allow me to give away my games for free. But until then, expect a small price tag on the finished game.