I wonder if this is the type of complexity that comes by default with state machines? I have the same feelings with complex react component structures, as well. There is something about state machines where the command flow (that updates the states) feels "hidden", and I thus far haven't found a way to design or document this kind of programming cleanly. Instead I have copious documentation explaining what each combination of states means and how it can be triggered.
They get big, but it is not right to confuse size with complexity. A huge state machine (size measured by the number of states) can be quite simple. Both in the whole, and each state transition can be isolated and considered independently
