Rom hack difficulty/iceberg/tier list?

I'm watching a lot of run and bun content rn as I'm on the brink of finishing up a vanilla fr nuzlocke and I want to work my way up to it, but I honestly don't want to run through another vanilla game. Randomizers look exciting but I'm interested in chasing optimal lines and having enough tension to be fully engaged the entire game. Are there games people consider between kaizou emerald and run and bun? And which rom hacks would be considered a step below that emerald hack?