head to head
vs
Dawn of DiscoveryvsGruntz
Dawn of Discovery leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Gruntz leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Dawn of DiscoveryGruntz
Axis by axis
Execution2 vs 3
Gruntz leans harder on execution: Some timed action but mostly deliberate puzzle moves
Reads1 vs 1
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance2 vs 2
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization9 vs 8
Dawn of Discovery leans harder on optimization: Production chains and population-tier economics are the entire game
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.