head to head
Neither is meaningfully harder - they pose close to the same test. The widest gap is variance, and it is a single point.

Optimization · Pure Optimization
A match-three game testing efficient board clearing to fund city-building.

Optimization · Pure Optimization
A watercolor tactical RPG mixing turn-based command with real-time aiming.
Cradle of Rome leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Valkyria Chronicles leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Same score on execution - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Cradle of Rome
Light click-speed under timers, never decisive
Valkyria Chronicles
Manual third-person aiming inside turns helps
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Cradle of Rome
Solo match-three, no opponent to model
Valkyria Chronicles
Enemy AI is scripted and exploitable
Cradle of Rome leans a little harder on variance, though the gap is small.
Cradle of Rome
Board tile drops are random per move
Valkyria Chronicles
Accuracy rolls and interception fire add noise
Valkyria Chronicles leans a little harder on optimization, though the gap is small.
Cradle of Rome
Planning matches to collect resources builds the city
Valkyria Chronicles
Unit positioning, class use, and turn routing 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.