Am I just bad? Please help me enjoy this game lol

Hey all!

I've only done like maybe 20 runs or so (3 hours of gameplay), but I haven't made it past the promenade or the sewers level. I unlock like maybe 10-20 cells each run, but that barely leads to progression. I'm finding myself getting frustrated because I keep dying in the promenade... Am I just bad at this game?

Anybody got any (spoiler-free) tips? I've been scared to look at youtube because of spoilers