(edit: vague spoilers for outer wilds + dlc!)
If I had a nickle for every time an exploration-based game partially inspired by the failure of skyward sword involved uncovering the ruins of an ancient civilization of goat-like creatures with three eyes, included time travel as both a major story and gameplay element, had a blue aesthetic for an advanced ancient civilization, and then had a follow-up with a new, previously unknown ancient civilization that has a green aesthetic, I’d have two nickles.
I agree that a lot of modern games hold the hand too much, but I found Outer Wilds to be the opposite for me, too obtuse and open to get a grip on the gameplay loop. If you dig that, more power to you, for me it was too much.
I know games get compared to puzzles often, but Outer Wilds for me was experienced like completing an actual jigsaw puzzle. At first the pieces were a scattered mess on the table. Before I could make any appreciable progress, I had to pause and flip over each piece right side up and take in the whole picture. This is initially when I bounced off it too.
But when I came back with fresh eyes, I picked a corner to focus on and the pieces started to fit together. Once you get some footing, like a real jigsaw, it starts to snowball as the bigger picture takes shape.