head to head
Neither is harder. They score identically on all four axes, so the difference between them is in kind, not degree.

Optimization · Pure Optimization
Open-world Pokémon where you tackle gyms and titans in any order.

Optimization · Pure Optimization
Gentleman puzzler solves a village full of standalone brainteasers.
Pokémon Scarlet leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Professor Layton and the Curious Village leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Same score on execution - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Pokémon Scarlet
Open-world traversal, battles stay menu-based
Professor Layton and the Curious Village
Stylus taps only; no dexterity pressure at all
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Pokémon Scarlet
NPC trainers never adapt
Professor Layton and the Curious Village
No opponent, adaptive or otherwise
Same score on variance - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Pokémon Scarlet
Open-world spawns and tera raids
Professor Layton and the Curious Village
Puzzle answers are hidden until reasoned out, then fixed
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Pokémon Scarlet
Terastallize typing adds a planning layer
Professor Layton and the Curious Village
Every brainteaser has one clean solvable answer
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.