head to head
vs
Party HardvsYaga
Party Hard leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos); Yaga leans Variance (Systems & Chaos).
Party HardYaga
Axis by axis
Execution3 vs 4
Yaga leans harder on execution: Hammer-swinging combat is forgiving and readable
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance5 vs 6
Yaga leans harder on variance: Bad-luck mechanic and random quests reshape every playthrough
Optimization6 vs 6
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.