Building comparison
head to head
An Arcade Full of CatsvsThe Vanishing of Ethan Carter
Neither is harder. They score identically on all four axes, so the difference between them is in kind, not degree.
An Arcade Full of Cats
Optimization · Light / Casual
A relaxed hidden-object hunt for cats with no pressure of any kind.
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
Optimization · Light / Casual
A gorgeous first-person mystery about piecing together a boy's disappearance.
An Arcade Full of Cats leans Optimization (Light / Casual); The Vanishing of Ethan Carter leans Optimization (Light / Casual).
An Arcade Full of CatsThe Vanishing of Ethan Carter
Axis by axis
Execution1 vs 1
Same score on execution - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
An Arcade Full of Cats
Clicking cats requires only patience
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
Walking and looking, nothing more
Reads0 vs 0
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
An Arcade Full of Cats
Nothing opposes you
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
No opponent
Variance2 vs 2
Same score on variance - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
An Arcade Full of Cats
Hidden cats are unknown until found, then done
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
The mystery is hidden only until discovered
Optimization3 vs 3
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
An Arcade Full of Cats
Systematic scene-scanning is the only technique
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
Reconstructing event sequences is light deduction
A matching score does not mean a matching test. Two games can both sit at 10 on execution and demand completely different things of you - which is why the reasoning above matters more than the number beside it.