head to head
vs
Bum SimulatorvsThe Sinking City
Bum Simulator leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos); The Sinking City leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Bum SimulatorThe Sinking City
Axis by axis
Execution2 vs 2
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads1 vs 0
Bum Simulator leans harder on reads: NPCs react scripted, no adaptive modeling
Variance3 vs 3
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization5 vs 6
The Sinking City leans harder on optimization: Cross-referencing evidence and city archives is the deduction core
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.