head to head

Civilization V cover artvsPillars of Eternity cover art

Civilization VvsPillars of Eternity

Civilization V leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Pillars of Eternity leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).

EXECUTION2 /10READS2 /10VARIANCE5 /10OPTIMIZATION9 /10
Civilization VPillars of Eternity

Axis by axis

Execution2 vs 2

Even - both lean on execution about the same.

Reads2 vs 1

Civilization V leans harder on reads: AI follows scripted personalities, not genuine player modelling

Variance5 vs 4

Civilization V leans harder on variance: Random starts, barbarian spawns, and goody huts create hidden unknowns

Optimization9 vs 9

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.

full breakdown

Civilization V

full breakdown

Pillars of Eternity