head to head
vs
Pirates! GoldvsThief: The Dark Project
Pirates! Gold leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Thief: The Dark Project leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Pirates! GoldThief: The Dark Project
Axis by axis
Execution4 vs 3
Pirates! Gold leans harder on execution: Sword duels and ship handling need modest action timing
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance4 vs 3
Pirates! Gold leans harder on variance: Treasure locations and world state are hidden until discovered
Optimization8 vs 8
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.