Building comparison
head to head
ReturnalvsSpelunky
Neither is meaningfully harder - they pose close to the same test. The widest gap is reads, and it is a single point.
Returnal
Execution · Twitch Chaos
Bullet-hell roguelike third-person shooter.
Spelunky
Execution · Twitch Chaos
The original procedural platformer that codified the modern roguelike action loop.
Returnal leans Execution (Twitch Chaos); Spelunky leans Execution (Twitch Chaos).
ReturnalSpelunky
Axis by axis
Execution8 vs 8
Same score on execution - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Returnal
Bullet-hell dodge and aim under pressure
Spelunky
Tight platforming and whip control under constant threat.
Reads2 vs 1
Returnal leans a little harder on reads, though the gap is small.
Returnal
Bosses scripted, patterns not adaptive
Spelunky
Enemy AI is scripted; no adaptive opponents.
Variance7 vs 7
Same score on variance - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Returnal
Room layouts, parasites, items roguelike
Spelunky
Procedural caves and item rolls shape every run.
Optimization6 vs 6
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Returnal
Build synergies and route planning
Spelunky
Hell route and shortcuts reward solved knowledge.
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.