head to head
vs
Outer WildsvsWhere's My Water?
Outer Wilds leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Where's My Water? leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Outer WildsWhere's My Water?
Axis by axis
Execution2 vs 3
Where's My Water? leans harder on execution: Precise dirt-swiping helps on tight three-duck routes.
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance1 vs 1
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization9 vs 8
Outer Wilds leans harder on optimization: Pure knowledge puzzle - solve the system
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.