I made a small text adventure, I'm not trying to make it appealing to anyone, but rather just to practise my python skills. I am fairly new to python and this was my next step after making a console calculator & bmi calculator. I would like someone to tell me how this code could be better optimised, less work etc.

import time
import random

# game function
def game():

print ("~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~")
print ("Welcome to the cavern of secrets!")
print ("~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~")

time.sleep(3)

print ("You enter a dark cavern out of curiosity. It is dark and you can only make out a small stick on the floor.")
ch1 = str(input("Do you take it? [y/n]: "))

# STICK TAKEN
if ch1 in ['y', 'Y', 'Yes', 'YES', 'yes']:
    print("You have taken the stick!")
    time.sleep(2)
    stick = 1

# STICK NOT TAKEN
else:
    print("You did not take the stick")
    stick = 0

print ("As you proceed further into the cave, you see a small glowing object")
ch2 = str(input("Do you approach the object? [y/n]"))

# APPROACH SPIDER
if ch2 in ['y', 'Y', 'Yes', 'YES', 'yes']:
    print ("You approach the object...")
    time.sleep(2)
    print ("As you draw closer, you begin to make out the object as an eye!")
    time.sleep(1)
    print ("The eye belongs to a giant spider!")
    ch3 = str(input("Do you try to fight it? [Y/N]"))

    # FIGHT SPIDER
    if ch3 in ['y', 'Y', 'Yes', 'YES', 'yes']:

        # WITH STICK
        if stick == 1:
            print ("You only have a stick to fight with!")
            print ("You quickly jab the spider in it's eye and gain an advantage")
            time.sleep(2)
            print ("~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~")
            print ("                  Fighting...                   ")
            print ("   YOU MUST HIT ABOVE A 5 TO KILL THE SPIDER    ")
            print ("IF THE SPIDER HITS HIGHER THAN YOU, YOU WILL DIE")
            print ("~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~")
            time.sleep(2)
            fdmg1 = int(random.randint(3, 10))
            edmg1 = int(random.randint(1, 5))
            print ("you hit a", fdmg1)
            print ("the spider hits a", edmg1)
            time.sleep(2)

            if edmg1 > fdmg1:
                print ("The spider has dealt more damage than you!")
                complete = 0
                return complete

            elif fdmg1 < 5:
                print ("You didn't do enough damage to kill the spider, but you manage to escape")
                complete = 1
                return complete
                
            else:
                print ("You killed the spider!")
                complete = 1
                return complete
                
        # WITHOUT STICK
        else:
            print ("You don't have anything to fight with!")
            time.sleep(2)
            print ("~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~")
            print ("                  Fighting...                   ")
            print ("   YOU MUST HIT ABOVE A 5 TO KILL THE SPIDER    ")
            print ("IF THE SPIDER HITS HIGHER THAN YOU, YOU WILL DIE")
            print ("~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~")
            time.sleep(2)
            fdmg1 = int(random.randint(1, 8))
            edmg1 = int(random.randint(1, 5))
            print ("you hit a", fdmg1)
            print ("the spider hits a", edmg1)
            time.sleep(2)

            if edmg1 > fdmg1:
                print ("The spider has dealt more damage than you!")
                complete = 0
                return complete

            elif fdmg1 < 5:
                print ("You didn't do enough damage to kill the spider, but you manage to escape")
                complete = 1
                return complete

            else:
                print ("You killed the spider!")
                complete = 1
                return complete
            
    #DON'T FIGHT SPIDER
    print ("You choose not to fight the spider.")
    time.sleep(1)
    print ("As you turn away, it ambushes you and impales you with it's fangs!!!")
    complete = 0
    return complete

# DON'T APPROACH SPIDER
else:
        print ("You turn away from the glowing object, and attempt to leave the cave...")
        time.sleep(1)
        print ("But something won't let you....")
        time.sleep(2)
        complete = 0
        return complete

# game loop
alive = True
while alive:

complete = game()
if complete == 1:
    alive = input('You managed to escape the cavern alive! Would you like to play again? [y/n]: ')
    if alive in ['y', 'Y', 'YES', 'yes', 'Yes',]:
        alive

    else:
        break

else:
    alive = input('You have died! Would you like to play again? [y/n]: ')
    if alive in ['y', 'Y', 'YES', 'yes', 'Yes',]:
        alive

    else:
        break