head to head
Neither is meaningfully harder - they pose close to the same test. The widest gap is execution, and it is a single point.

Optimization · Systems & Chaos
Extending Banner Saga's attrition model with tighter supply constraints and harder tactical puzzles.

Optimization · Systems & Chaos
A physics sandbox where you place wobbly armies and watch ragdoll battles resolve themselves.
The Banner Saga 2 leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos); Totally Accurate Battle Simulator leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos).
The Banner Saga 2 leans a little harder on execution, though the gap is small.
The Banner Saga 2
Same turn-based input structure as the original
Totally Accurate Battle Simulator
Place units then watch; no hands required
The Banner Saga 2 leans a little harder on reads, though the gap is small.
The Banner Saga 2
No PvP; scripted enemy priority unchanged
Totally Accurate Battle Simulator
No adaptive opponent in campaign sandbox
Same score on variance - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
The Banner Saga 2
Caravan supply scarcity and battle RNG compound into harder variance
Totally Accurate Battle Simulator
Wobbly physics makes identical setups resolve differently
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
The Banner Saga 2
Renown spending and unit promotion timing deepen the optimization layer
Totally Accurate Battle Simulator
Unit counters and placement solve each scenario
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.