So after some brainstorming last night, I figured out two ideas.

One, Rejection: the player must continually dispose of equipment, power and ability in order to reach their goal, thing is those things are also tied to their life force. Each time they dispose, their life total decreases, which also makes them weaker in attack power and defense.

two, The Meta: You have 48 hours to make a game. Balance time with health while also attending to your responsibilities! Every action has an opportunity and effort cost. Work too hard and you just might die! Don't work hard enough and you won't make a game! Try not to anger your family or get sick while you're at it!

I'm digging the meta because it's so out of the box for me. Let's see what I can come up with!

Here's my board of ideas.