head to head
vs
Fire Emblem: AwakeningvsGloomhaven
Fire Emblem: Awakening leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Gloomhaven leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Fire Emblem: AwakeningGloomhaven
Axis by axis
Execution2 vs 1
Fire Emblem: Awakening leans harder on execution: No twitch elements; pair-up placement is the only spatial decision under time
Reads1 vs 1
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance5 vs 5
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization8 vs 9
Gloomhaven leans harder on optimization: Card economy and scenario routing are the 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.