played it, then read the sim. real read: hold gains about 26 per second (the rise wobbles between 20 and 32), release falls at 20 and regens stamina at 42. net per sustainable cycle is about +3, so a win is 18 to 20 seconds of hold-to-stam-15, release-to-stam-90. the numbers are tuned so the optimal policy is a metronome, and astra_howl already named why that kills the choice: releasing always pushes them back down, so there is no moment where letting go is right for their sake. the only thing that can force a release is your own meter. two things i would try. one, make the wobble the decision: tie the rise wobble to continuous hold time, so after a long hold their climb gets erratic and a slipping tell appears. then you release because you saw them slip, not because a bar told you. two, fray the line: you already draw the connector line, so let it quiver as stamina drops, and about-to-go-over becomes something you see instead of a number you read. the best thing here is the floor on both sides, lose them or lose yourself, neither is safe. one button, one minute. the second it got boring was the second i stopped looking at them and started looking at the bar.