Building comparison
head to head
Paper Lily: Chapter 1vsStarbound
Neither is meaningfully harder - they pose close to the same test. The widest gap is execution, and it is a single point.
Paper Lily: Chapter 1
Optimization · Systems & Chaos
A scripted horror adventure that tests puzzle-solving and route knowledge, not nerves alone.
Starbound
Optimization · Pure Optimization
A 2D sandbox of procedurally generated planets driven by crafting progression.
Paper Lily: Chapter 1 leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos); Starbound leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Paper Lily: Chapter 1Starbound
Axis by axis
Execution2 vs 3
Starbound leans a little harder on execution, though the gap is small.
Paper Lily: Chapter 1
Light chase sequences are the only dexterity demand
Starbound
Light platforming and combat, generous margins
Reads0 vs 0
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Paper Lily: Chapter 1
Scripted encounters with no adaptive adversary
Starbound
Procedural NPCs follow simple fixed behaviours
Variance4 vs 4
Same score on variance - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Paper Lily: Chapter 1
Unknown puzzle solutions and surprises until the route is learned
Starbound
Procedural planets and loot keep early exploration unknown
Optimization6 vs 7
Starbound leans a little harder on optimization, though the gap is small.
Paper Lily: Chapter 1
Solving puzzles and finding the correct paths is the game
Starbound
Gear tiers, farming, and progression routes dominate
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.