head to head
vs
Mount Your FriendsvsThe Need for Speed
Mount Your Friends leans Execution (Pure Mechanics); The Need for Speed leans Execution (Pure Mechanics).
Mount Your FriendsThe Need for Speed
Axis by axis
Execution8 vs 7
Mount Your Friends leans harder on execution: QWOP-like limb control under a timer is the entire challenge
Reads2 vs 1
Mount Your Friends leans harder on reads: Rivals shape the tower but climbing is solo execution
Variance1 vs 2
The Need for Speed leans harder on variance: Traffic patterns add mild run-to-run noise
Optimization3 vs 3
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.