Building comparison
head to head
PortalvsSimAnt
Neither is simply harder - they are hard in different places. Portal demands more execution; SimAnt demands more variance.
Portal
Optimization · Pure Optimization
The portal-gun puzzle game whose solutions are everything.
SimAnt
Optimization · Pure Optimization
Maxis simulation where you guide a black ant colony to conquer a suburban yard.
Portal leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); SimAnt leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
PortalSimAnt
Axis by axis
Execution4 vs 2
Portal leans clearly harder on execution.
Portal
Portal placement timing modest.
SimAnt
Light direct ant control; spider dodging is mild dexterity.
Reads0 vs 0
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Portal
No adversary modeling player.
SimAnt
Red colony AI is scripted behaviour, never models you.
Variance0 vs 4
SimAnt leans clearly harder on variance.
Portal
Deterministic chambers; no randomness.
SimAnt
Spider, rain, lawnmower and yard events are random hazards.
Optimization8 vs 7
Portal leans a little harder on optimization, though the gap is small.
Portal
Pure puzzle-solving optimization.
SimAnt
Caste ratios, pheromone trails and expansion order are 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.