head to head

Bad North cover artvsKeep Talking and Nobody Explodes cover art

Bad NorthvsKeep Talking and Nobody Explodes

Bad North leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos); Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos).

EXECUTION2 /10READS0 /10VARIANCE5 /10OPTIMIZATION7 /10
Bad NorthKeep Talking and Nobody Explodes

Axis by axis

Execution2 vs 3

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes leans harder on execution: Defusing under a timer punishes fumbling

Reads0 vs 0

Even - both lean on reads about the same.

Variance5 vs 5

Even - both lean on variance about the same.

Optimization7 vs 6

Bad North leans harder on optimization: Unit positioning and upgrade choices 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.

full breakdown

Bad North

full breakdown

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes