Building comparison
head to head
EricavsMouthwashing
Neither is meaningfully harder - they pose close to the same test. The widest gap is execution, and it is a single point.
Erica
Variance · Light / Casual
A live-action FMV thriller steered through touchpad choices and gestures.
Mouthwashing
Optimization · Light / Casual
Short narrative horror about a doomed freighter crew told in fractured time.
Erica leans Variance (Light / Casual); Mouthwashing leans Optimization (Light / Casual).
EricaMouthwashing
Axis by axis
Execution0 vs 1
Mouthwashing leans a little harder on execution, though the gap is small.
Erica
Touch gestures with no skill ceiling
Mouthwashing
Walking and simple interactions
Reads0 vs 0
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Erica
No opponent
Mouthwashing
No opposition; it is a story
Variance3 vs 2
Erica leans a little harder on variance, though the gap is small.
Erica
Branch outcomes hidden on first viewing
Mouthwashing
Narrative surprises only on first viewing
Optimization3 vs 3
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Erica
Mapping choice branches across replays
Mouthwashing
Light puzzles guide a fixed story
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.