head to head

Beneath a Steel Sky cover artvsSpace Quest V: The Next Mutation cover art

Beneath a Steel SkyvsSpace Quest V: The Next Mutation

Beneath a Steel Sky leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Space Quest V: The Next Mutation leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).

EXECUTION0 /10READS0 /10VARIANCE2 /10OPTIMIZATION6 /10
Beneath a Steel SkySpace Quest V: The Next Mutation

Axis by axis

Execution0 vs 1

Space Quest V: The Next Mutation leans harder on execution: Clicking through scenes, with rare trivial timed bits

Reads0 vs 0

Even - both lean on reads about the same.

Variance2 vs 2

Even - both lean on variance about the same.

Optimization6 vs 5

Beneath a Steel Sky leans harder on optimization: Inventory puzzle chains are fully solvable

Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.

full breakdown

Beneath a Steel Sky

full breakdown

Space Quest V: The Next Mutation