Building comparison
head to head
Prison ArchitectvsRaft
Neither is meaningfully harder - they pose close to the same test. The widest gap is optimization, and it is a single point.
Prison Architect
Optimization · Pure Optimization
Designing a functional prison where security infrastructure and inmate need management prevent catastrophic failure.
Raft
Optimization · Pure Optimization
Growing a floating base by solving resource chains and research order against scripted ocean threats.
Prison Architect leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Raft leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Prison ArchitectRaft
Axis by axis
Execution2 vs 2
Same score on execution - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Prison Architect
Layout design is deliberate; no twitch demands
Raft
Shark hook-attacks require minimal timing
Reads0 vs 0
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Prison Architect
Prisoner behaviour is scripted around needs and contraband rules
Raft
Shark and seagull AI are scripted with no player modelling
Variance4 vs 4
Same score on variance - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Prison Architect
Riots and smuggling attempts introduce meaningful hidden threats
Raft
Island loot tables and resource drift introduce randomness
Optimization8 vs 7
Prison Architect leans a little harder on optimization, though the gap is small.
Prison Architect
Guard routing, cell ratios, and utility networks are deeply solvable
Raft
Raft expansion, food chains, and research order are solvable systems
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.