Interesting! Now, I have many thoughts on this—my first being "congratulations on your masters degree," of course, haha! And I definitely empathize with you; it's a feeling I and many other creatives will know... But also, it's silly, of course.

[tldr: "Wow, two cakes!"]

Well, here is my "grindset" pep talk: As they say, ideas come cheap. It's easy to come up with a great idea, but seeing them through and actually make them a reality is the hard part. If you are convinced of your game idea, and you think you have the conviction to develop it: Go for it. Own it. You don't need anyone's permission. People might accuse you of copying some other game? Who cares—you know what you're doing. People might compare your game to other projects? Pawperty Damage, of all things, especially? So what. Are you looking for excuses? Because if any of that is going to stop you, chances are you were never going to make it in the first place, anyway, now are they.

There's only one way to make any game that doesn't get compared or criticized—you don't make that game, at all. You thought this wasn't the case for any game I have (or haven't) made?

Let's be real, Pawperty Damage is not—in any way whatsoever—an original idea. It would be ridiculous to accuse anyone of copying it. The game's distinctive feature is the fact that it exists, is released, playable and sufficiently polished.
When I started the project I, too, had a "macro furry game in mind." What do you think, how close is the final result to the fantastical concept I had drafted, in my head? Here's the answer: It doesn't matter—you cannot hook a game controller to someone's imagination and take a turn.
You're never going to know what you'll have to show for it, unless you actually give it a shot.

To be perfectly clear, I am absolutely rooting for you! Don't let shit-ass Pawperty Damage drag you down.

But maybe I was reading this all wrong. Maybe you don't like the idea of being compared to my game, because you hate it? In which case, obviously it should just motivate you to do better—from personal experience, I can say, spite is one hell of a motivator!

Otherwise, there is plenty of space in the world, even for something as specific as "macro furry games." I know this because my game is—of course—not the only game of its kind; it's neither the first, nor is it going to be the last.

Your take on it does not have to be anything like mine, and the fact you, yourself, can compare ideas to a released game puts you in an advantageous position to make something unique that is truly yours. If anything, this is your opportunity: There is so much room to adapt, expand, improve, experiment, and innovate.

Players will be there for it.

And I strongly believe that furry game devs should uplift each other; this isn't some sort of competition. Should you ever have any questions regarding any step of development, I am always happy to help to the best of my ability, and my DMs are open.

No idea if any of this was something you needed to hear. But I must say, "I'm saddened your game exists" goes hard and it made me feel compelled to write an extensive answer, haha.