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• Allow backtracking. Two approaches:
  • Allow grinding. Many games allow you to replay old stages to grind for money or experience to get strong enough to clear the next stage. Some people prefer to be overpowered all the time. This means players can always win.
  • Allow backtracking, but cap the rewards. Think along the lines of mobile games where you get 0-3 stars for clearing a level and you use stars as currency to unlock something. If a bad build is possible with max stars, then this doesn't completely solve the problem.
• Allow respec. Maybe once per char or with some sort of reasonable cost. If the character uses their respec chance, they can get all their money back (at once), then maybe they get presented with all of the items they've seen so far with the chance to repurchase, smarter. This can make the game trivial though--for roguelikes it's sad when you try for a specific build but RNG doesn't go your way and you end up very weak, but that rarity is what makes it fun. If you could always make the most of whatever the RNG gives you, the game becomes much much easier.
• Don't make a failing build possible. If the player doesn't have enough money, you can still give them a free item for clearing the level that is enough to go by. In this case, money doesn't make you "strong enough", it makes the game simpler (overpowered) or more interesting (more unique toys. fight with a gun instead of a sword, etc).
• Consider intermingled systems. If you use a level-up system and backtracking, even if the player can't get money from backtracking they should still eventually get strong enough just from levelups to be able to progress.
• Make bad builds possible and part of the learning experience. Assuming your game isn't insanely long, you can just let players restart when their build fails. Throw in some RNG and you have a "rogue-like". Trying new builds or making the best of what is presented to you in each run becomes the fun part. GG, try something new next time!
• Embrace the difficulty. As long as there are no unwinnable situations, being difficult is not actually bad. Just make sure there are no places where you need a minimum jump strength to clear and no bosses/enemies/scenarios that deal unavoidable damage greater than the player's HP. If you have an HP system, consider making some attacks percent-based rather than fixed number based. It's not a problem, it's a feature

• Allow backtracking. Two approaches:
  • Allow grinding. Many games allow you to replay old stages to grind for money or experience to get strong enough to clear the next stage. Some people prefer to be overpowered all the time. This means players can always win.
  • Allow backtracking, but cap the rewards. Think along the lines of mobile games where you get 0-3 stars for clearing a level and you use stars as currency to unlock something. If a bad build is possible with max stars, then this doesn't completely solve the problem.
  • (Side note) You can also make backtracking a standard part of the game, by making some rewards unobtainable until later progress has been made (as suggested by Eugene Osovetsky. I want to say the Metroid games do this, but i haven't played them in years--Cereza and the Lost Demon definitely does this well.
• Allow respec. Maybe once per char or with some sort of reasonable cost. If the character uses their respec chance, they can get all their money back (at once), then maybe they get presented with all of the items they've seen so far with the chance to repurchase, smarter. This can make the game trivial though--for roguelikes it's sad when you try for a specific build but RNG doesn't go your way and you end up very weak, but that rarity is what makes it fun. If you could always make the most of whatever the RNG gives you, the game becomes much much easier.
• Don't make a failing build possible. If the player doesn't have enough money, you can still give them a free item for clearing the level that is enough to go by. In this case, money doesn't make you "strong enough", it makes the game simpler (overpowered) or more interesting (more unique toys. fight with a gun instead of a sword, etc).
• Consider intermingled systems. If you use a level-up system and backtracking, even if the player can't get money from backtracking they should still eventually get strong enough just from levelups to be able to progress.
• Make bad builds possible and part of the learning experience. Assuming your game isn't insanely long, you can just let players restart when their build fails. Throw in some RNG and you have a "rogue-like". Trying new builds or making the best of what is presented to you in each run becomes the fun part. GG, try something new next time!
• Embrace the difficulty. As long as there are no unwinnable situations, being difficult is not actually bad. Just make sure there are no places where you need a minimum jump strength to clear and no bosses/enemies/scenarios that deal unavoidable damage greater than the player's HP. If you have an HP system, consider making some attacks percent-based rather than fixed number based. It's not a problem, it's a feature
• From a comment by a user without a username: You can let the player know that they are becoming underpowered. If YOU know that they are underpowered, then you can let a dialog or NPC tell them. Or you can do something similar to what Genshin Impact does with "artifacts" (equipment)--have a dialog/GUI element that shows what other players choose.
• Simpler than the last suggestion--write "Recommended!" or "Recommended for newbies!" under some set of items that gives the player at least the minimal viable build.

• Make bad builds possible and part of the learning experience. Assuming your game isn't insanely long, you can just let players restart when their build fails. Throw in some RNG and you have a "rogue-like". Trying new builds or making the best of what is presented to you in each run becomes the fun part. GG, try something new next time!
• Allow backtracking. Two approaches:
  • Allow grinding. Many games allow you to replay old stages to grind for money or experience to get strong enough to clear the next stage. Some people prefer to be overpowered all the time. This means players can always win.
  • Allow backtracking, but cap the rewards. Think along the lines of mobile games where you get 0-3 stars for clearing a level and you use stars as currency to unlock something. If a bad build is possible with max stars, then this doesn't completely solve the problem.
• Don't make a failing build possible. If the player doesn't have enough money, you can still give them a free item for clearing the level that is enough to go by. In this case, money doesn't make you "strong enough", it makes the game simpler (overpowered) or more interesting (more unique toys. fight with a gun instead of a sword, etc).
• Consider intermingled systems. If you use a level-up system and backtracking, even if the player can't get money from backtracking they should still eventually get strong enough just from levelups to be able to progress.
• Embrace the difficulty. As long as there are no unwinnable situations, being difficult is not actually bad. Just make sure there are no places where you need a minimum jump strength to clear and no bosses/enemies/scenarios that deal unavoidable damage greater than the player's HP. If you have an HP system, consider making some attacks percent-based rather than fixed number based. It's not a problem, it's a feature

• Allow backtracking. Two approaches:
  • Allow grinding. Many games allow you to replay old stages to grind for money or experience to get strong enough to clear the next stage. Some people prefer to be overpowered all the time. This means players can always win.
  • Allow backtracking, but cap the rewards. Think along the lines of mobile games where you get 0-3 stars for clearing a level and you use stars as currency to unlock something. If a bad build is possible with max stars, then this doesn't completely solve the problem.
• Allow respec. Maybe once per char or with some sort of reasonable cost. If the character uses their respec chance, they can get all their money back (at once), then maybe they get presented with all of the items they've seen so far with the chance to repurchase, smarter. This can make the game trivial though--for roguelikes it's sad when you try for a specific build but RNG doesn't go your way and you end up very weak, but that rarity is what makes it fun. If you could always make the most of whatever the RNG gives you, the game becomes much much easier.
• Don't make a failing build possible. If the player doesn't have enough money, you can still give them a free item for clearing the level that is enough to go by. In this case, money doesn't make you "strong enough", it makes the game simpler (overpowered) or more interesting (more unique toys. fight with a gun instead of a sword, etc).
• Consider intermingled systems. If you use a level-up system and backtracking, even if the player can't get money from backtracking they should still eventually get strong enough just from levelups to be able to progress.
• Make bad builds possible and part of the learning experience. Assuming your game isn't insanely long, you can just let players restart when their build fails. Throw in some RNG and you have a "rogue-like". Trying new builds or making the best of what is presented to you in each run becomes the fun part. GG, try something new next time!
• Embrace the difficulty. As long as there are no unwinnable situations, being difficult is not actually bad. Just make sure there are no places where you need a minimum jump strength to clear and no bosses/enemies/scenarios that deal unavoidable damage greater than the player's HP. If you have an HP system, consider making some attacks percent-based rather than fixed number based. It's not a problem, it's a feature

There are many solutions:

• Make bad builds possible and part of the learning experience. Assuming your game isn't insanely long, you can just let players restart when their build fails. Throw in some RNG and you have a "rogue-like". Trying new builds or making the best of what is presented to you in each run becomes the fun part. GG, try something new next time!
• Allow backtracking. Two approaches:
• Allow grinding. Many games allow you to replay old stages to grind for money or experience to get strong enough to clear the next stage. Some people prefer to be overpowered all the time. This means players can always win.
• Allow backtracking, but cap the rewards. Think along the lines of mobile games where you get 0-3 stars for clearing a level and you use stars as currency to unlock something. If a bad build is possible with max stars, then this doesn't completely solve the problem.
• Don't make a failing build possible. If the player doesn't have enough money, you can still give them a free item for clearing the level that is enough to go by. In this case, money doesn't make you "strong enough", it makes the game simpler (overpowered) or more interesting (more unique toys. fight with a gun instead of a sword, etc).
• Consider intermingled systems. If you use a level-up system and backtracking, even if the player can't get money from backtracking they should still eventually get strong enough just from levelups to be able to progress.
• Embrace the difficulty. As long as there are no unwinnable situations, being difficult is not actually bad. Just make sure there are no places where you need a minimum jump strength to clear and no bosses/enemies/scenarios that deal unavoidable damage greater than the player's HP. If you have an HP system, consider making some attacks percent-based rather than fixed number based. It's not a problem, it's a feature

A few side notes:

• Games where you're expected to die a million times as you learn attack patterns, etc, to pass the game are called 死にゲー (she-knee-gay) in Japanese. The first and last options fall under this category. Dark Souls and the original Super Mario games fall under this category.
• Unwinnable situations are okay if it's a game built for replay. The concept of a "DPS check" is when there is an opponent that you cannot defeat unless you can do a certain amount of damage quickly--timed fights or opponents that heal. A health/armor check is when you take a guaranteed hit and if your HP is too low, you cannot win. You can extend this logic to things like jumping or money, etc, which create hurdles for the player in your replayable game. "Remember, DPS check at level 12, health check at level 25, money check at 30!"

There are many solutions:

• Make bad builds possible and part of the learning experience. Assuming your game isn't insanely long, you can just let players restart when their build fails. Throw in some RNG and you have a "rogue-like". Trying new builds or making the best of what is presented to you in each run becomes the fun part. GG, try something new next time!
• Allow backtracking. Two approaches:
  • Allow grinding. Many games allow you to replay old stages to grind for money or experience to get strong enough to clear the next stage. Some people prefer to be overpowered all the time. This means players can always win.
  • Allow backtracking, but cap the rewards. Think along the lines of mobile games where you get 0-3 stars for clearing a level and you use stars as currency to unlock something. If a bad build is possible with max stars, then this doesn't completely solve the problem.
• Don't make a failing build possible. If the player doesn't have enough money, you can still give them a free item for clearing the level that is enough to go by. In this case, money doesn't make you "strong enough", it makes the game simpler (overpowered) or more interesting (more unique toys. fight with a gun instead of a sword, etc).
• Consider intermingled systems. If you use a level-up system and backtracking, even if the player can't get money from backtracking they should still eventually get strong enough just from levelups to be able to progress.
• Embrace the difficulty. As long as there are no unwinnable situations, being difficult is not actually bad. Just make sure there are no places where you need a minimum jump strength to clear and no bosses/enemies/scenarios that deal unavoidable damage greater than the player's HP. If you have an HP system, consider making some attacks percent-based rather than fixed number based. It's not a problem, it's a feature

A few side notes:

• Games where you're expected to die a million times as you learn attack patterns, etc, to pass the game are called 死にゲー (she-knee-gay) in Japanese. The first and last options fall under this category. Dark Souls and the original Super Mario games fall under this category.
• Unwinnable situations are okay if it's a game built for replay. The concept of a "DPS check" is when there is an opponent that you cannot defeat unless you can do a certain amount of damage quickly--timed fights or opponents that heal. A health/armor check is when you take a guaranteed hit and if your HP is too low, you cannot win. You can extend this logic to things like jumping or money, etc, which create hurdles for the player in your replayable game. "Remember, DPS check at level 12, health check at level 25, money check at 30!"