Building comparison
head to head
Digital Devil Story: Megami TenseivsThe Alters
Neither is harder. They score identically on all four axes, so the difference between them is in kind, not degree.
Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei
Optimization · Pure Optimization
Charting brutal mazes and solving demon-fusion math in a first-person crawler.
The Alters
Optimization · Pure Optimization
Scheduling scarce time and resources across a base run by copies of yourself.
Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); The Alters leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Digital Devil Story: Megami TenseiThe Alters
Axis by axis
Execution1 vs 1
Same score on execution - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei
Turn-based dungeon menus need no dexterity
The Alters
Third-person walking and menus, no twitch demands
Reads0 vs 0
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei
Demons follow fixed negotiation and combat rules
The Alters
No adaptive opponent, only systems and story beats
Variance4 vs 4
Same score on variance - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei
Unmapped mazes and encounters punish until charted
The Alters
Unscouted events and alter reactions surprise first runs
Optimization8 vs 8
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei
Demon fusion math and maze mapping dominate progress
The Alters
Time, resource and crew scheduling under deadlines is the game
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.