Building comparison
head to head
Lock's QuestvsThe Outer Worlds
Neither is meaningfully harder - they pose close to the same test. The widest gap is optimization, and it is a single point.
Lock's Quest
Optimization · Pure Optimization
A tower-defense RPG hybrid about building defenses against scripted waves.
The Outer Worlds
Optimization · Pure Optimization
A perk-driven sci-fi RPG won by flaw selection and dialogue routing.
Lock's Quest leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); The Outer Worlds leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Lock's QuestThe Outer Worlds
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.
Lock's Quest
Some action moments but building dominates
The Outer Worlds
FPS-lite with time-dilation aim
Reads1 vs 1
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Lock's Quest
Clockwork horde follows fixed waves, not adaptive
The Outer Worlds
Scripted enemies
Variance2 vs 2
Same score on variance - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Lock's Quest
Enemy waves are largely predictable
The Outer Worlds
Loot rolls, dialogue check variance
Optimization8 vs 7
Lock's Quest leans a little harder on optimization, though the gap is small.
Lock's Quest
Turret placement and defensive engineering is the game
The Outer Worlds
Perks, flaws, dialogue routing rewarded
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.