I know that for new players the learning curve can be quite steep, would it be an idea to give players either a starting kit with maybe an identified uncurse and identify scroll, or healing potions, or maybe enchanted starting weapon and armour? Once you have won and ascended you no longer receive it, the ‘are you sure you want to continue’ dialog when you start ascending can say that returning to the surface will end the starting buff.
As I remember, Nethack had a beginner mode where if you died early in the dungeon you had the option to resurrect and enable cheats, with the penalty that it would no longer record your score.
Maybe some context aware hint system? It could look at the cause of death and status of your inventory and select a hint towards how you could have done better - like ‘try using sneak attacks on snakes’, ‘remember you have healing potions’, ‘try using enchantments on your best items’. Might get annoying tho, or spoil the experience of figuring it out, idk?
:)