Building comparison
head to head
Dark CloudvsStarbound
Neither is meaningfully harder - they pose close to the same test. The widest gap is execution, and it is a single point.
Dark Cloud
Optimization · Pure Optimization
PS2 RPG pairing randomized dungeon crawls with rebuilding ruined towns.
Starbound
Optimization · Pure Optimization
A 2D sandbox of procedurally generated planets driven by crafting progression.
Dark Cloud leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Starbound leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Dark CloudStarbound
Axis by axis
Execution4 vs 3
Dark Cloud leans a little harder on execution, though the gap is small.
Dark Cloud
real-time dungeon combat with weapon timing
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.
Dark Cloud
no adaptive opponent
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.
Dark Cloud
randomized dungeon floors and drops
Starbound
Procedural planets and loot keep early exploration unknown
Optimization7 vs 7
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Dark Cloud
weapon evolution and town-building reward planning
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.