Building comparison
head to head
Bad RatsvsStarbound
Starbound asks more than Bad Rats, and the gap is execution.
Bad Rats
Optimization · Systems & Chaos
Solving Rube Goldberg puzzles fighting physics that barely cooperates.
Starbound
Optimization · Pure Optimization
A 2D sandbox of procedurally generated planets driven by crafting progression.
Bad Rats leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos); Starbound leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Bad RatsStarbound
Axis by axis
Execution1 vs 3
Starbound leans clearly harder on execution.
Bad Rats
Placing pieces takes no dexterity
Starbound
Light platforming and combat, generous margins
Reads0 vs 0
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Bad Rats
No opponent - just rats and physics
Starbound
Procedural NPCs follow simple fixed behaviours
Variance4 vs 4
Same score on variance - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Bad Rats
Notoriously janky physics makes identical setups behave differently
Starbound
Procedural planets and loot keep early exploration unknown
Optimization6 vs 7
Starbound leans a little harder on optimization, though the gap is small.
Bad Rats
Each contraption puzzle has intended solvable solutions
Starbound
Gear tiers, farming, and progression routes dominate
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.