Building comparison
head to head
Pillars of EternityvsSurviving Mars
Neither is meaningfully harder - they pose close to the same test. The widest gap is execution, and it is a single point.
Pillars of Eternity
Optimization · Pure Optimization
An original RPG system where engagement optimization and passive-stacking theory dominate hard-mode encounters.
Surviving Mars
Optimization · Pure Optimization
Colonize Mars by stacking dome layouts and supply chains.
Pillars of Eternity leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Surviving Mars leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Pillars of EternitySurviving Mars
Axis by axis
Execution2 vs 1
Pillars of Eternity leans a little harder on execution, though the gap is small.
Pillars of Eternity
Real-time-with-pause removes all twitch pressure from the player
Surviving Mars
pausable, no reflex
Reads1 vs 0
Pillars of Eternity leans a little harder on reads, though the gap is small.
Pillars of Eternity
All AI opponents use fixed scripted behaviour trees
Surviving Mars
no adversary
Variance4 vs 4
Same score on variance - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Pillars of Eternity
Hidden enemy immunities and ability distributions require investigation
Surviving Mars
disasters, sponsor traits
Optimization9 vs 9
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Pillars of Eternity
Per-encounter ability management and passive stacking define trial-of-iron mastery
Surviving Mars
dome layouts and supply chains
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.