BRICKBREAKER SPRINT - Speed focused Breakout-style game

Hello everybody! I'm here to show you guys my current biggest game project, BRICKBREAKER SPRINT

You know Arkanoid, the Breakout inspired that also had powerups?
OK, now for a stranger question
Ever played Pac-Man Championship Edition DX?

OK, now imagine both games merged together.

The result is a very speed-centric and clear efficiency focused Breakout style game that according to previous playtests is "very addictive".

PLAY IN ITCH HERE (WEB, WINDOWS): https://glitchypsi.itch.io/brickbreaker-sprint
OR NEWGROUNDS (WEB): https://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/878933

The goal is simple. Get as many points as you can before the time runs out, and hit the magenta block to progress through the stage.
Powerups? Yes, there are, they're kind of geared towards helping you clear stages either more efficiently or faster.

I'm looking for feedback on any aspect you can, except probably about the design language of the game. You're free to comment on that but I've playtested some with a reduced group about it and it has changed quite a bit since its first version.

You can find the controls in the itch.io page. Currently the game is controlled entirely using the mouse, except for the Escape key, which pauses the game.

I feel it's important I mention something now.
The current state of the game is one after some feedback, but I spent one year working in an update that adds a level editor, to, y'know, give some longevity to the game until I get to the next development milestone, which would probably be a half-feature-complete release. Sort of like a demo, this being a pre-demo, yes?

The trailer for that update can be found here.

Don't get fooled by the fact I've built so much stuff for it already. This game is still very much in what I consider an early development state and feedback is very appreciated. Hell, you could even give feedback on the stage editor and stage portal themselves! I'd appreciate it, hm?

(The editor is a web version that was limited in scope, the real editor is a desktop application made in MonoGame, but the web editor is still extremely important.)