Building comparison
head to head
Fallout 3vsThief Simulator 2
Neither is meaningfully harder - they pose close to the same test. The widest gap is reads, and it is a single point.
Fallout 3
Optimization · Pure Optimization
A VATS-heavy wasteland RPG won by perk and build optimization.
Thief Simulator 2
Optimization · Pure Optimization
A stealth sim about casing houses and planning optimal heists.
Fallout 3 leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Thief Simulator 2 leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Fallout 3Thief Simulator 2
Axis by axis
Execution3 vs 3
Same score on execution - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Fallout 3
VATS-leaning combat, low aim demand
Thief Simulator 2
Lockpicking and stealth timing matter but stay light
Reads1 vs 2
Thief Simulator 2 leans a little harder on reads, though the gap is small.
Fallout 3
Scripted enemies
Thief Simulator 2
NPC patrols follow scripted routes, not adaptive
Variance2 vs 3
Thief Simulator 2 leans a little harder on variance, though the gap is small.
Fallout 3
Loot rolls, SPECIAL checks
Thief Simulator 2
Loot contents and patrol timing add mild uncertainty
Optimization7 vs 7
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Fallout 3
Perk and build planning carries the run
Thief Simulator 2
Planning routes, tools and casing targets is the core
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.