head to head
vs
CandlevsDonkey Kong Bananza
Candle leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery); Donkey Kong Bananza leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery).
CandleDonkey Kong Bananza
Axis by axis
Execution4 vs 5
Donkey Kong Bananza leans harder on execution: Punch-heavy traversal and boss fights
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance3 vs 2
Candle leans harder on variance: Traps and puzzle logic are hidden until they kill you once
Optimization6 vs 6
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.