Building comparison
head to head
PortalvsStacking
Neither is simply harder - they are hard in different places. Portal demands more execution; Stacking demands more variance.
Portal
Optimization · Pure Optimization
The portal-gun puzzle game whose solutions are everything.
Stacking
Optimization · Pure Optimization
Experimenting with doll abilities to uncover multiple solutions to fixed puzzles.
Portal leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Stacking leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
PortalStacking
Axis by axis
Execution4 vs 1
Portal leans clearly harder on execution.
Portal
Portal placement timing modest.
Stacking
Hopping between dolls requires no 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.
Stacking
Puzzle NPCs are static props, not minds
Variance0 vs 2
Stacking leans clearly harder on variance.
Portal
Deterministic chambers; no randomness.
Stacking
Doll abilities are hidden until tried once
Optimization8 vs 5
Portal leans clearly harder on optimization.
Portal
Pure puzzle-solving optimization.
Stacking
Finding every solution per puzzle is the real challenge
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.