head to head
vs
Nuclear ThronevsSpelunky 2
Nuclear Throne leans Execution (Twitch Chaos); Spelunky 2 leans Execution (Twitch Chaos).
Nuclear ThroneSpelunky 2
Axis by axis
Execution8 vs 8
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads0 vs 1
Spelunky 2 leans harder on reads: Enemies follow scripted patterns; no adaptive opponent.
Variance6 vs 7
Spelunky 2 leans harder on variance: Procedural levels, item drops, shopkeeper triggers gate runs.
Optimization5 vs 6
Spelunky 2 leans harder on optimization: Route knowledge, dark world, eggplant run is solvable.
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.