head to head
vs
Darkest DungeonvsInsurmountable
Darkest Dungeon leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos); Insurmountable leans Variance (Systems & Chaos).
Darkest DungeonInsurmountable
Axis by axis
Execution0 vs 1
Insurmountable leans harder on execution: Node-to-node clicks, no dexterity involved
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance7 vs 7
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization8 vs 7
Darkest Dungeon leans harder on optimization: party comps and risk management are deeply solvable
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.