head to head
vs
IcarusvsSid Meier's Pirates!
Icarus leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos); Sid Meier's Pirates! leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
IcarusSid Meier's Pirates!
Axis by axis
Execution4 vs 4
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance5 vs 4
Icarus leans harder on variance: Storm timing, ore deposits, and creature encounters carry session RNG
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.