Building comparison
head to head
DeathtrapvsStarbound
Neither is meaningfully harder - they pose close to the same test. The widest gap is optimization, and it is a single point.
Deathtrap
Optimization · Pure Optimization
A tower-defense action RPG hybrid about defending magical portals from enemy waves.
Starbound
Optimization · Pure Optimization
A 2D sandbox of procedurally generated planets driven by crafting progression.
Deathtrap leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Starbound leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
DeathtrapStarbound
Axis by axis
Execution3 vs 3
Same score on execution - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Deathtrap
Some real-time aiming in tower placement and hero control.
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.
Deathtrap
Enemy waves are scripted or randomized, not adaptive.
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.
Deathtrap
Wave composition and loot rolls add unpredictability.
Starbound
Procedural planets and loot keep early exploration unknown
Optimization8 vs 7
Deathtrap leans a little harder on optimization, though the gap is small.
Deathtrap
Tower and build optimization is the deeply solvable core.
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.