Building comparison
head to head
SimCityvsSimCity (2013)
Neither is meaningfully harder - they pose close to the same test. The widest gap is reads, and it is a single point.
SimCity
Optimization · Pure Optimization
An economy and layout optimization puzzle about keeping a small simulated city solvent.
SimCity (2013)
Optimization · Pure Optimization
A small-plot city builder where specialization economics and traffic engineering decide success.
SimCity leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); SimCity (2013) leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
SimCitySimCity (2013)
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.
SimCity
Pause-friendly building removes any physical test
SimCity (2013)
Mouse planning; no dexterity demands.
Reads1 vs 0
SimCity leans a little harder on reads, though the gap is small.
SimCity
Region multiplayer is cooperative, not adversarial prediction
SimCity (2013)
No opponent; multiplayer regions cooperate.
Variance2 vs 3
SimCity (2013) leans a little harder on variance, though the gap is small.
SimCity
Disasters and agent simulation quirks add mild randomness
SimCity (2013)
Agent simulation quirks behave unpredictably.
Optimization8 vs 8
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
SimCity
Zoning, traffic flow and specialisation economies are the whole game
SimCity (2013)
Specialization chains and traffic layouts reward systematic planning.
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.