Building comparison
head to head
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed KingvsSimCity (2013)
Neither is meaningfully harder - they pose close to the same test. The widest gap is execution, and it is a single point.
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
Optimization · Pure Optimization
A warm, classic JRPG adventure with deep alchemy crafting.
SimCity (2013)
Optimization · Pure Optimization
A small-plot city builder where specialization economics and traffic engineering decide success.
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); SimCity (2013) leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed KingSimCity (2013)
Axis by axis
Execution0 vs 1
SimCity (2013) leans a little harder on execution, though the gap is small.
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
Turn-based menus, zero dexterity
SimCity (2013)
Mouse planning; no dexterity 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.
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
Monsters act on fixed logic
SimCity (2013)
No opponent; multiplayer regions cooperate.
Variance3 vs 3
Same score on variance - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
Battle RNG, drops, and casino luck
SimCity (2013)
Agent simulation quirks behave unpredictably.
Optimization7 vs 8
SimCity (2013) leans a little harder on optimization, though the gap is small.
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
Skill points, alchemy, and tension are optimizable
SimCity (2013)
Specialization chains and traffic layouts reward systematic planning.
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.