Building comparison
head to head
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping StarsvsPortal
Neither is meaningfully harder - they pose close to the same test. The widest gap is execution, and it is a single point.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars
Optimization · Pure Optimization
A lemmings-style puzzle series testing deterministic route planning for marching minis.
Portal
Optimization · Pure Optimization
The portal-gun puzzle game whose solutions are everything.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Portal leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping StarsPortal
Axis by axis
Execution3 vs 4
Portal leans a little harder on execution, though the gap is small.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars
Stylus rib-placement under mild time pressure
Portal
Portal placement timing modest.
Reads0 vs 0
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars
Minis follow strict lemming-like movement rules
Portal
No adversary modeling player.
Variance0 vs 0
Same score on variance - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars
Puzzles are fully deterministic and visible
Portal
Deterministic chambers; no randomness.
Optimization7 vs 8
Portal leans a little harder on optimization, though the gap is small.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars
Routing minis to the door efficiently is the whole test
Portal
Pure puzzle-solving optimization.
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.