Building comparison
head to head
Murdered: Soul SuspectvsThe Vanishing of Ethan Carter
Neither is meaningfully harder - they pose close to the same test. The widest gap is variance, and it is a single point.
Murdered: Soul Suspect
Optimization · Systems & Chaos
Guided detective clue-hunting with hidden answers and minimal challenge.
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
Optimization · Light / Casual
A gorgeous first-person mystery about piecing together a boy's disappearance.
Murdered: Soul Suspect leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos); The Vanishing of Ethan Carter leans Optimization (Light / Casual).
Murdered: Soul SuspectThe 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.
Murdered: Soul Suspect
Walking and clue-clicking; demon stealth is trivial
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.
Murdered: Soul Suspect
Demons follow simple fixed patrols
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
No opponent
Variance3 vs 2
Murdered: Soul Suspect leans a little harder on variance, though the gap is small.
Murdered: Soul Suspect
Clues and case answers are hidden until found
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
The mystery is hidden only until discovered
Optimization4 vs 3
Murdered: Soul Suspect leans a little harder on optimization, though the gap is small.
Murdered: Soul Suspect
Deduction sequences are guided puzzles with known answers
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.