head to head
vs
Hand of FatevsShadows of Doubt
Hand of Fate leans Variance (Systems & Chaos); Shadows of Doubt leans Variance (Systems & Chaos).
Hand of FateShadows of Doubt
Axis by axis
Execution5 vs 3
Hand of Fate leans harder on execution: Arkham-style real-time combat requires dodge timing and blocking
Reads1 vs 0
Hand of Fate leans harder on reads: The Dealer is scripted; encounters don't adapt to your style
Variance7 vs 8
Shadows of Doubt leans harder on variance: Seeing the killer's identity instantly solves every case
Optimization6 vs 6
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.