head to head
vs
Keep Talking and Nobody ExplodesvsSunless Skies
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos); Sunless Skies leans Variance (Systems & Chaos).
Keep Talking and Nobody ExplodesSunless Skies
Axis by axis
Execution3 vs 2
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes leans harder on execution: Defusing under a timer punishes fumbling
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance5 vs 6
Sunless Skies leans harder on variance: Hidden ports, story branches and terror events
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.