head to head
vs
Civilization VIIvsPathfinder: Kingmaker
Civilization VII leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Pathfinder: Kingmaker leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Civilization VIIPathfinder: Kingmaker
Axis by axis
Execution2 vs 2
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads2 vs 1
Civilization VII leans harder on reads: AI scripted per leader personality, not learning your habits
Variance5 vs 5
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization9 vs 10
Pathfinder: Kingmaker leans harder on optimization: Pathfinder feat chains and kingdom management routing have known optimal solutions
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.