head to head
vs
Plants vs. ZombiesvsSimCity
Plants vs. Zombies leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); SimCity leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Plants vs. ZombiesSimCity
Axis by axis
Execution1 vs 1
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads0 vs 1
SimCity leans harder on reads: Region multiplayer is cooperative, not adversarial prediction
Variance3 vs 2
Plants vs. Zombies leans harder on variance: Wave timing and lane pressure vary mildly
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.