Building comparison
head to head
ScratchesvsThe Secret of Monkey Island
Neither is meaningfully harder - they pose close to the same test. The widest gap is optimization, and it is a single point.
Scratches
Optimization · Pure Optimization
A slow-burn first-person adventure investigating strange scratching sounds in an isolated Victorian mansion.
The Secret of Monkey Island
Optimization · Pure Optimization
A fixed-solution puzzle adventure where finding the right inventory combination unlocks every obstacle.
Scratches leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); The Secret of Monkey Island leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
ScratchesThe Secret of Monkey Island
Axis by axis
Execution1 vs 1
Same score on execution - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Scratches
First-person point-and-click input is physically trivial
The Secret of Monkey Island
Clicking inventory items demands no twitch skill whatsoever
Reads0 vs 0
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Scratches
No opponents at all, only an empty haunted estate
The Secret of Monkey Island
No adaptive opponent; all puzzles are fixed and authored
Variance2 vs 2
Same score on variance - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Scratches
The mystery's hidden answers drive a blind first run
The Secret of Monkey Island
Some hidden items require exploration but solutions are invariant
Optimization7 vs 8
The Secret of Monkey Island leans a little harder on optimization, though the gap is small.
Scratches
Investigation puzzles resolve to one fixed solution path
The Secret of Monkey Island
Correct item combinations and dialogue chains fully determine progress
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.