Building comparison
head to head
Democracy 4vsPlants vs. Zombies
Neither is meaningfully harder - they pose close to the same test. The widest gap is execution, and it is a single point.
Democracy 4
Optimization · Pure Optimization
Solving an interlocking policy simulation to stay elected - nearly pure systems play.
Plants vs. Zombies
Optimization · Pure Optimization
Lane defense classic about managing a sun economy against shambling waves.
Democracy 4 leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Plants vs. Zombies leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Democracy 4Plants vs. Zombies
Axis by axis
Execution0 vs 1
Plants vs. Zombies leans a little harder on execution, though the gap is small.
Democracy 4
Clicking policy sliders involves zero physical skill
Plants vs. Zombies
Clicking to plant, minimal pressure
Reads0 vs 0
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Democracy 4
Voter blocs react by fixed simulation rules, not adaptation
Plants vs. Zombies
Zombie waves follow set compositions
Variance3 vs 3
Same score on variance - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Democracy 4
Random events and hidden voter thresholds inject mild uncertainty
Plants vs. Zombies
Wave timing and lane pressure vary mildly
Optimization8 vs 8
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Democracy 4
A perfect coach solves the policy-web economy almost entirely
Plants vs. Zombies
Sun economy and lane setups are near-solvable
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.