Kuon cover art

Kuon

FromSoftware's rare Heian-era survival horror creeping through a cursed mansion of silk and spirits.

Here's the argument for where this game sits - disagree freely.
Match your experience?
EXECUTION3 /10READS0 /10VARIANCE4 /10OPTIMIZATION6 /10

the cheat-test profile

The four axes - the argument

Each axis is rated on its own - how far one cheat would trivialize the game here. They don't trade off; low on all four means the game is an experience, not a contest.

  1. Execution

    cheat: Aimbot - perfect inputs

    3/10

    Tank-style evasion of slow horrors

  2. Reads

    cheat: Out-predict an adaptive opponent

    0/10

    Spirits follow fixed haunting scripts

  3. Variance

    cheat: See what's hidden / map the RNG

    4/10

    First-run scares and hidden routes

  4. Optimization

    cheat: A perfect solver / coach

    6/10

    Item routing and ofuda usage are plannable

How to read this

Each axis is named by the cheat that would break the game along it. Execution is the hands. Reads is out-thinking an adaptive opponent. Variance is hidden information & RNG. Optimization is the solvable systems layer. A game's region is the top one or two axes.

These four aren't one rating split four ways - they're independent 0-10 questions. A 9 on one axis takes nothing from the others, and a game low on all four isn't missing data: it's telling you there's no skill here to cheat.

The basis is how the majority actually plays this game - not a niche mode or a personal run. For a game with very different modes (a story campaign versus ranked multiplayer), that's the version most people mean.

Compare with

Similar games

see all →

Ranked by shared genre first, then by how closely the cheat-test profile matches - a cross-genre tag means a pick matched on skill profile alone.

Silent Hill: Downpour cover art

Silent Hill: Downpour

Systems & Chaos · survival horror

E
R
V
O
Silent Hill: Downpour
L.A. Noire cover art

L.A. Noire

Systems & Chaos · detective adventure

E
R
V
O
L.A. Noire
Papers, Please cover art

Papers, Please

Pure Optimization · document inspection sim

E
R
V
O
Papers, Please
EarthBound cover art

EarthBound

Pure Optimization · turn-based RPG

E
R
V
O
EarthBound
SteamWorld Dig cover art

SteamWorld Dig

Practiced Mastery · mining platformer

E
R
V
O
SteamWorld Dig
Cult of the Lamb cover art

Cult of the Lamb

Pure Optimization · roguelite management

E
R
V
O
Cult of the Lamb

Game details

Released
2004
Developer
FromSoftware
Platforms
PS2
Modes
Single player
IGDB critics
40/100
IGDB users
79/100
PuzzleAdventureActionFantasyHorrorSurvival