Building comparison
head to head
Oxygen Not IncludedvsThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Neither is simply harder - they are hard in different places. Oxygen Not Included demands more variance; The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim demands more execution.
Oxygen Not Included
Optimization · Pure Optimization
Engineering precise gas, liquid, and power circuits to keep a subterranean colony alive indefinitely.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Optimization · Pure Optimization
An open-world RPG mostly about discovering and stacking exploitable progression systems.
Oxygen Not Included leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Oxygen Not IncludedThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Axis by axis
Execution1 vs 3
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim leans clearly harder on execution.
Oxygen Not Included
All inputs are build-order clicks; no twitch required
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Combat is forgiving; aim and timing rarely punish you.
Reads0 vs 0
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Oxygen Not Included
No adversary of any kind exists in the colony
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Enemy AI is scripted and exploitable; not adaptive.
Variance5 vs 2
Oxygen Not Included leans clearly harder on variance.
Oxygen Not Included
Asteroid seed and geyser placement carry meaningful but bounded randomness
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Loot tables and leveled lists inject mild randomness.
Optimization10 vs 7
Oxygen Not Included leans clearly harder on optimization.
Oxygen Not Included
Gas, liquid, and power engineering are essentially a solvable engineering puzzle
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Skill stacking, enchant loops, and exploits are deeply solvable.
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.