Building comparison
head to head
The Banner SagavsWasteland 2
Neither is meaningfully harder - they pose close to the same test. The widest gap is optimization, and it is a single point.
The Banner Saga
Optimization · Systems & Chaos
Managing willpower resources and armor-strip sequencing under narrative-driven attrition.
Wasteland 2
Optimization · Pure Optimization
A post-apocalyptic tactics game where skill tag distribution and action economy control encounter outcomes.
The Banner Saga leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos); Wasteland 2 leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
The Banner SagaWasteland 2
Axis by axis
Execution2 vs 2
Same score on execution - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
The Banner Saga
Turn-based; willpower spend timing is the sole execution nuance
Wasteland 2
Turn-based tactical combat has no twitch component
Reads1 vs 1
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
The Banner Saga
AI follows predictable threat-targeting logic
Wasteland 2
All enemy factions use scripted behaviour with no player adaptation
Variance5 vs 5
Same score on variance - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
The Banner Saga
Armor/strength interaction and random narrative outcomes create variance
Wasteland 2
Hidden skill check requirements and enemy placement create information gaps
Optimization7 vs 8
Wasteland 2 leans a little harder on optimization, though the gap is small.
The Banner Saga
Willpower economy and armor-strip sequencing are learnable solutions
Wasteland 2
Skill tag allocation and AP economy optimization define effective squads
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.