I think it should be more like pacman, with ghosts that move faster and can track you better, but you can see their position on the radar. Or possibly add it as a second mode.
Don't buy the in-game BS about needing more life, you get plenty as you level. I suggest you do what I did. L20 student, then L20 gold, L20 sword, L3 axe, L20 crit (I got crit to L11 by the time I beat it). As for stat points, put everything into strength. (Mine ended at 91 str, 4 dex, 5 vita, 4 luck) You get like 95% sell back, so pretty much always buy the best sword you can afford. And get the best strength ring you can get too.
To attempt to answer my own question (How to level up), I've done this: Play through the whole game at 0%, then repeat the final level and slowly make it more and more challenging, but not enough that you can't easily win with 5 kids and you get 1000+ exp plus bonus exp when you add difficulty...which comes to about 1500, or 2.5 levels per game.
Anyone find a good level and setup to get EXP faster? (An example might look like this: "Level 3 with 50% life and 50% density, and 15% on everything else")
kind of annoying how challenges work...I completed my 4 wall breaks in 1 run, then it says I need 25000 points in a run. I did a 50000+ run but it only credits 12955 points (the point when I broke the 4th door)
My rating has quickly gone from 5 to 4 to 3 stars and possibly less soon...I got every trophy, every gun, every upgrade, max bullets....except for the damn time played trophy. And since I started my second play on a later level...now I gotta watch the damn credits again...