Building comparison
head to head
Castlevania: Harmony of DissonancevsUndertale
Neither is meaningfully harder - they pose close to the same test. The widest gap is reads, and it is a single point.
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance
Optimization · Pure Optimization
A speedy GBA metroidvania that doubles its castle into two mirrored layouts to untangle.
Undertale
Optimization · Pure Optimization
A scripted RPG where pattern-learning and pacifist routing carry you.
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Undertale leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Castlevania: Harmony of DissonanceUndertale
Axis by axis
Execution4 vs 4
Same score on execution - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance
Fast dashes make combat forgiving.
Undertale
Bullet-hell dodging in scripted patterns
Reads0 vs 1
Undertale leans a little harder on reads, though the gap is small.
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance
Scripted enemies and bosses.
Undertale
NPCs follow fixed dialogue trees, not adaptive
Variance1 vs 1
Same score on variance - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance
Minor relic and drop luck.
Undertale
Minimal randomness in encounters
Optimization7 vs 7
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance
Twin-castle navigation and spellbook combos carry it.
Undertale
Learning fixed boss patterns and mercy routes wins
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.