head to head
vs
Aven ColonyvsIcewind Dale
Aven Colony leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Icewind Dale leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Aven ColonyIcewind Dale
Axis by axis
Execution1 vs 1
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance5 vs 4
Aven Colony leans harder on variance: Landing site resources and alien attack timing carry moderate RNG
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.