Building comparison
head to head
Super Mario GalaxyvsTomb Raider (2013)
Neither is meaningfully harder - they pose close to the same test. The widest gap is execution, and it is a single point.
Super Mario Galaxy
Execution · Practiced Mastery
Mid-demand 3D platforming execution across fixed gravity puzzles.
Tomb Raider (2013)
Execution · Practiced Mastery
Lara's reboot blending cover shooting, climbing, and survival cinema.
Super Mario Galaxy leans Execution (Practiced Mastery); Tomb Raider (2013) leans Execution (Practiced Mastery).
Super Mario GalaxyTomb Raider (2013)
Axis by axis
Execution6 vs 5
Super Mario Galaxy leans a little harder on execution, though the gap is small.
Super Mario Galaxy
Gravity-bending jumps need timing, though forgiving by Mario standards
Tomb Raider (2013)
Bow aim, QTEs, and platforming timing matter.
Reads0 vs 1
Tomb Raider (2013) leans a little harder on reads, though the gap is small.
Super Mario Galaxy
Bosses repeat fixed patterns - nothing adapts
Tomb Raider (2013)
Scripted enemy waves, no adaptation.
Variance1 vs 1
Same score on variance - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Super Mario Galaxy
Galaxies are scripted; surprises evaporate after one visit
Tomb Raider (2013)
Minimal randomness in encounters.
Optimization4 vs 4
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Super Mario Galaxy
Star routes and comet challenges reward learned solutions
Tomb Raider (2013)
Weapon upgrades and skill picks straightforward.
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.