head to head
vs
Art of BalancevsPrison Architect
Art of Balance leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Prison Architect leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Art of BalancePrison Architect
Axis by axis
Execution3 vs 2
Art of Balance leans harder on execution: Steady placement matters but no twitch pressure
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance3 vs 4
Prison Architect leans harder on variance: Riots and smuggling attempts introduce meaningful hidden threats
Optimization8 vs 8
Even - both lean on optimization about the same.
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.