head to head
vs
Children of a Dead EarthvsCities: Skylines
Children of a Dead Earth leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Cities: Skylines leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Children of a Dead EarthCities: Skylines
Axis by axis
Execution2 vs 0
Children of a Dead Earth leans harder on execution: minimal twitch demand, orbital mechanics focus
Reads1 vs 0
Children of a Dead Earth leans harder on reads: AI opponents follow physics, minimal adaptation
Variance1 vs 1
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization10 vs 10
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.