head to head
Neither is meaningfully harder - they pose close to the same test. The widest gap is variance, and it is a single point.

Execution · Practiced Mastery
A martial arts career simulation and fighting game.

Optimization · Practiced Mastery
A 2D Souls-like with metroidvania exploration.
Karate Master 2 Knock Down Blow leans Execution (Practiced Mastery); Salt and Sanctuary leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery).
Same score on execution - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Karate Master 2 Knock Down Blow
fighting mechanics need timing and reaction
Salt and Sanctuary
Souls-like timing in 2D
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Karate Master 2 Knock Down Blow
AI opponents follow fixed patterns, minor adaptation
Salt and Sanctuary
Scripted bosses with telegraphs
Karate Master 2 Knock Down Blow leans a little harder on variance, though the gap is small.
Karate Master 2 Knock Down Blow
match outcomes have some randomness
Salt and Sanctuary
Loot drops
Salt and Sanctuary leans a little harder on optimization, though the gap is small.
Karate Master 2 Knock Down Blow
career training and build optimization matters
Salt and Sanctuary
Skill tree builds and gear routing
A matching score does not mean a matching test. Two games can both sit at 10 on execution and demand completely different things of you - which is why the reasoning above matters more than the number beside it.