head to head
vs
Dark EchovsPapers, Please
Dark Echo leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Papers, Please leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Dark EchoPapers, Please
Axis by axis
Execution3 vs 4
Papers, Please leans harder on execution: Document-checking speed directly pays the rent
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance3 vs 4
Papers, Please leans harder on variance: Random entrant documents and scripted-event surprises
Optimization7 vs 7
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.