Building comparison
head to head
DayZvsDeceit 2
Neither is simply harder - they are hard in different places. DayZ demands more execution; Deceit 2 demands more reads.
DayZ
Variance · Grand Arena
Hardcore survival sandbox where other players are scarier than the zombies.
Deceit 2
Reads · Bluff & Deduction
Nine players run asylum rituals while two hidden infected sow doubt and pick them off.
DayZ leans Variance (Grand Arena); Deceit 2 leans Reads (Bluff & Deduction).
DayZDeceit 2
Axis by axis
Execution6 vs 4
DayZ leans clearly harder on execution.
DayZ
gunfights punish slow hands severely
Deceit 2
Some shooting and chases, but softer than the original.
Reads6 vs 8
Deceit 2 leans clearly harder on reads.
DayZ
every survivor met may lie, ambush, or befriend
Deceit 2
Unmasking infected players is pure adaptive human deception.
Variance7 vs 6
DayZ leans a little harder on variance, though the gap is small.
DayZ
loot spawns and who you meet are unknowable
Deceit 2
Hidden roles, ritual events, and item luck obscure truth.
Optimization5 vs 3
DayZ leans clearly harder on optimization.
DayZ
map knowledge and survival routines compound
Deceit 2
Objectives and tools form a small learnable system.
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.