Don't sell yourself short. The game is challenging but not unnecessarily so. Don't seek out settings to reduce difficulty, seek out advice on how to do better in the game.

1) had you upgraded your armor? (leather or Troll)
2) had you upgraded your shield? (lvl 1,2 or 3)
3) had you upgraded your flint ax?
4) Had you upgraded your crude bow? (its possible to make a fine wood bow without having access to a bronze ax by knocking logs into oak and birch tree's till they fall...Then ramming the birch/oak logs into each other netting fine wood)

All of the above are doable before you get a single copper or tin ore.

Are you parrying attacks or just going head long into the fray?

Greydwarves are very weak to fire, resistant to poison. The ones you have to give a lot of respect to early are the Shaman and the Brute.

At 4 hours in I'm usually eating Deer meat, Boar meat and Honey... and VERY CLOSE to getting a cauldron giving me access to Deer stew, Carrot Stew and Boar Jerky.

If you want in game help/tips I'd be happy to join your game with a brand new (fresh) character and show you how easy it is to stay alive even w/ all skills set at zero.

If the vocal minority had their way I think this game would be nerfed to the ground (RIP DEATHSQUITO).

We already have a laid back version of the game...

ASTRONEER (its awesome but very little "menace").