head to head
vs
Magic: The Gathering ArenavsTown of Salem 2
Magic: The Gathering Arena leans Optimization (Grand Arena); Town of Salem 2 leans Reads (Bluff & Deduction).
Magic: The Gathering ArenaTown of Salem 2
Axis by axis
Execution1 vs 0
Magic: The Gathering Arena leans harder on execution: Pure clicks, no mechanical skill
Reads7 vs 9
Town of Salem 2 leans harder on reads: Out-bluffing adaptive humans who model your claims is the game.
Variance7 vs 7
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization8 vs 5
Magic: The Gathering Arena leans harder on optimization: Deepest sequencing, deckbuilding, and stack puzzles
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.