Building comparison
head to head
MouthwashingvsThe Vanishing of Ethan Carter
Neither is harder. They score identically on all four axes, so the difference between them is in kind, not degree.
Mouthwashing
Optimization · Light / Casual
Short narrative horror about a doomed freighter crew told in fractured time.
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
Optimization · Light / Casual
A gorgeous first-person mystery about piecing together a boy's disappearance.
Mouthwashing leans Optimization (Light / Casual); The Vanishing of Ethan Carter leans Optimization (Light / Casual).
MouthwashingThe Vanishing of Ethan Carter
Axis by axis
Execution1 vs 1
Same score on execution - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Mouthwashing
Walking and simple interactions
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
Walking and looking, nothing more
Reads0 vs 0
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Mouthwashing
No opposition; it is a story
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
No opponent
Variance2 vs 2
Same score on variance - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Mouthwashing
Narrative surprises only on first viewing
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
The mystery is hidden only until discovered
Optimization3 vs 3
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Mouthwashing
Light puzzles guide a fixed story
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
Reconstructing event sequences is light deduction
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.