Building comparison
head to head
Escape from Monkey IslandvsSimon the Sorcerer
Neither is meaningfully harder - they pose close to the same test. The widest gap is execution, and it is a single point.
Escape from Monkey Island
Optimization · Pure Optimization
A comedic point-and-click adventure of pirate puzzles with fixed solutions.
Simon the Sorcerer
Optimization · Pure Optimization
A sarcastic British comedy adventure where a teenage wizard rescues an old sorcerer from an evil rival.
Escape from Monkey Island leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Simon the Sorcerer leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Escape from Monkey IslandSimon the Sorcerer
Axis by axis
Execution1 vs 0
Escape from Monkey Island leans a little harder on execution, though the gap is small.
Escape from Monkey Island
Pointing and walking only
Simon the Sorcerer
Verb-and-click; zero reflex requirement.
Reads0 vs 0
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Escape from Monkey Island
No opponent
Simon the Sorcerer
Fantasy parodies are static set dressing.
Variance2 vs 3
Simon the Sorcerer leans a little harder on variance, though the gap is small.
Escape from Monkey Island
Puzzle solutions hidden until discovered
Simon the Sorcerer
Some obscure item uses surprise first playthroughs.
Optimization6 vs 6
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Escape from Monkey Island
Once known, every puzzle has one fixed answer
Simon the Sorcerer
Classic inventory puzzle chains with fixed solutions.
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.