Building comparison
head to head
PortalvsThe Dig
Neither is simply harder - they are hard in different places. Portal demands more execution; The Dig demands more variance.
Portal
Optimization · Pure Optimization
The portal-gun puzzle game whose solutions are everything.
The Dig
Optimization · Pure Optimization
A LucasArts sci-fi adventure where astronauts stranded on an alien world puzzle out its dead civilization.
Portal leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); The Dig leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
PortalThe Dig
Axis by axis
Execution4 vs 0
Portal leans clearly harder on execution.
Portal
Portal placement timing modest.
The Dig
Point-and-click; no reflex demands.
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.
The Dig
Alien world is static; companions follow scripts.
Variance0 vs 3
The Dig leans clearly harder on variance.
Portal
Deterministic chambers; no randomness.
The Dig
Alien machinery's purpose is hidden until experimented with.
Optimization8 vs 6
Portal leans clearly harder on optimization.
Portal
Pure puzzle-solving optimization.
The Dig
Machine puzzles have single fixed solutions to deduce.
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.