When do all mechanics unlock, and when is a good point to slow down the story?

Hi everyone. I’ve recently started playing Dave and I’m really enjoying it so far, but I’m trying to understand how to pace the game properly.

How many Acts are there in total? And in which Act do most of the core mechanics fully open up — things like all farms, upgrades, skills, and side systems?

I’m asking because the game feels like something you can easily sink dozens of hours into upgrading and optimizing, and I’m a bit worried about either:

• progressing the story too fast and missing the “build-up” phase, or
• getting stuck grinding systems for too long and then feeling burned out when it’s time to continue the story.

Is there a good point in the story where you’d recommend slowing down and focusing on upgrades before pushing toward the finale?

Curious how others paced their playthrough.