Building comparison
head to head
MystvsPortal
Neither is simply harder - they are hard in different places. Myst demands more variance; Portal demands more execution.
Myst
Optimization · Pure Optimization
Landmark first-person puzzle adventure solved by careful observation and note-taking.
Portal
Optimization · Pure Optimization
The portal-gun puzzle game whose solutions are everything.
Myst leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Portal leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
MystPortal
Axis by axis
Execution0 vs 4
Portal leans clearly harder on execution.
Myst
Clicking through static scenes
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.
Myst
No adversary at all
Portal
No adversary modeling player.
Variance3 vs 0
Myst leans clearly harder on variance.
Myst
Clues hidden until found, then fixed forever
Portal
Deterministic chambers; no randomness.
Optimization7 vs 8
Portal leans a little harder on optimization, though the gap is small.
Myst
Observation-driven logic puzzles with deterministic solutions
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.