Building comparison
head to head
Have a Nice DeathvsSpelunky
Spelunky asks more than Have a Nice Death, and the gap is variance.
Have a Nice Death
Execution · Practiced Mastery
A slick action roguelite where execution under demanding boss patterns is the decisive skill.
Spelunky
Execution · Twitch Chaos
The original procedural platformer that codified the modern roguelike action loop.
Have a Nice Death leans Execution (Practiced Mastery); Spelunky leans Execution (Twitch Chaos).
Have a Nice DeathSpelunky
Axis by axis
Execution8 vs 8
Same score on execution - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Have a Nice Death
Stylish fast-paced combat demands precise timing and weapon switching
Spelunky
Tight platforming and whip control under constant threat.
Reads0 vs 1
Spelunky leans a little harder on reads, though the gap is small.
Have a Nice Death
Boss attacks are choreographed and learnable; no adaptive enemy
Spelunky
Enemy AI is scripted; no adaptive opponents.
Variance5 vs 7
Spelunky leans clearly harder on variance.
Have a Nice Death
Curse and relic drops randomise each department run's power curve
Spelunky
Procedural caves and item rolls shape every run.
Optimization6 vs 6
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Have a Nice Death
Weapon synergies and curse selection reward consistent knowledge of the system
Spelunky
Hell route and shortcuts reward solved knowledge.
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.