head to head
vs
At Dead of NightvsThe Long Dark
At Dead of Night leans Variance (Systems & Chaos); The Long Dark leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos).
At Dead of NightThe Long Dark
Axis by axis
Execution3 vs 2
At Dead of Night leans harder on execution: Hiding and fleeing Jimmy needs modest timing
Reads1 vs 0
At Dead of Night leans harder on reads: Jimmy's prowling is rule-driven RNG, not adaptation
Variance6 vs 6
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization5 vs 7
The Long Dark leans harder on optimization: Route planning, calorie budgeting, and item condition management are solvable
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.