Building comparison
head to head
Pokemon SunvsPortal
Neither is simply harder - they are hard in different places. Pokemon Sun demands more variance; Portal demands more execution.
Pokemon Sun
Optimization · Pure Optimization
An Alolan island-trial reinvention of the Pokemon formula that swaps gyms for totem battles.
Portal
Optimization · Pure Optimization
The portal-gun puzzle game whose solutions are everything.
Pokemon Sun leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Portal leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Pokemon SunPortal
Axis by axis
Execution0 vs 4
Portal leans clearly harder on execution.
Pokemon Sun
Turn-based menus only
Portal
Portal placement timing modest.
Reads2 vs 0
Pokemon Sun leans clearly harder on reads.
Pokemon Sun
Totem battles are scripted, not adaptive
Portal
No adversary modeling player.
Variance3 vs 0
Pokemon Sun leans clearly harder on variance.
Pokemon Sun
SOS calls, encounters, and catch rolls add luck
Portal
Deterministic chambers; no randomness.
Optimization8 vs 8
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Pokemon Sun
Trial puzzles and team matchups carry the game
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.