Building comparison
head to head
DinkumvsStarbound
Neither is meaningfully harder - they pose close to the same test. The widest gap is execution, and it is a single point.
Dinkum
Optimization · Systems & Chaos
Building an Australian outback town by solving its licence-gated crafting progression and visitor systems.
Starbound
Optimization · Pure Optimization
A 2D sandbox of procedurally generated planets driven by crafting progression.
Dinkum leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos); Starbound leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
DinkumStarbound
Axis by axis
Execution2 vs 3
Starbound leans a little harder on execution, though the gap is small.
Dinkum
Hunting and combat have light timing demands
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.
Dinkum
Animals and NPCs use scripted, predictable behaviour
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.
Dinkum
Resource deposits and visiting merchant stock introduce moderate RNG
Starbound
Procedural planets and loot keep early exploration unknown
Optimization6 vs 7
Starbound leans a little harder on optimization, though the gap is small.
Dinkum
Town development, licence unlocks, and resource routing are solvable
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.