head to head
vs
Only IfvsThe Sinking City
Only If leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos); The Sinking City leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Only IfThe Sinking City
Axis by axis
Execution2 vs 2
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance4 vs 3
Only If leans harder on variance: Deliberately illogical puzzles hide their rules until experimented with
Optimization5 vs 6
The Sinking City leans harder on optimization: Cross-referencing evidence and city archives is the deduction core
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.