Building comparison
head to head
DownfallvsEarthBound
Neither is meaningfully harder - they pose close to the same test. The widest gap is execution, and it is a single point.
Downfall
Optimization · Systems & Chaos
A grim point-and-click testing puzzle persistence through a fixed descent into madness.
EarthBound
Optimization · Pure Optimization
A subversive JRPG where understanding rolling HP mechanics and PSI optimization defeats its quirky scripted encounters.
Downfall leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos); EarthBound leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
DownfallEarthBound
Axis by axis
Execution1 vs 2
EarthBound leans a little harder on execution, though the gap is small.
Downfall
Clicking through scenes has no motor demand
EarthBound
Rolling HP meter has very mild timing implication
Reads0 vs 0
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Downfall
Characters are scripted psyches, not adapting opponents
EarthBound
All enemies scripted with fixed attack patterns
Variance4 vs 4
Same score on variance - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Downfall
Branching horrors are hidden until choices reveal them
EarthBound
PSI randomness, enemy attack variety, and encounter triggers add unpredictability
Optimization6 vs 7
EarthBound leans a little harder on optimization, though the gap is small.
Downfall
Puzzle chains and ending routes have fixed solutions
EarthBound
Status effects, rolling HP strategy, and Franklin Badge usage are 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.