head to head
vs
Crusader KingsvsDarkest Dungeon
Crusader Kings leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos); Darkest Dungeon leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos).
Crusader KingsDarkest Dungeon
Axis by axis
Execution0 vs 0
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads1 vs 0
Crusader Kings leans harder on reads: AI lords scheme by script, not adaptation
Variance6 vs 7
Darkest Dungeon leans harder on variance: crits, stress events, and dungeon rolls punish plans
Optimization8 vs 8
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.