Good pathing is risk management. The best route is rarely the greediest route; it is the route with a backup plan if the first few rewards are weak.
Count upgrades and recovery before elites
An early elite is attractive only when you can reach it with enough health and at least one card reward. A campfire before an elite makes aggressive routes much safer.
If your first rewards are defensive or slow, choose a route with an exit. A forced elite with no damage is a common run killer.
Shops fix specific problems
Visit shops when you have gold and a clear need: remove a bad card, buy burst damage, find scaling, or add a potion before an elite. Wandering into a shop with no gold is usually a wasted floor.
Question marks are not always free
Events can be powerful, but fights give card rewards and potions. If your deck still lacks basics, too many question marks can leave it underbuilt.