head to head
vs
Curious ExpeditionvsSunless Sea
Curious Expedition leans Variance (Systems & Chaos); Sunless Sea leans Variance (Systems & Chaos).
Curious ExpeditionSunless Sea
Axis by axis
Execution0 vs 1
Sunless Sea leans harder on execution: Slow boat combat barely tests the hands
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance8 vs 7
Curious Expedition leans harder on variance: Hidden hex maps, event rolls and sanity gambles
Optimization7 vs 6
Curious Expedition leans harder on optimization: Party composition and loot weight are calculable trade-offs
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.