head to head
vs
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of SkyvsSword of the Stars: The Pit
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos); Sword of the Stars: The Pit leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos).
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of SkySword of the Stars: The Pit
Axis by axis
Execution1 vs 1
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance6 vs 7
Sword of the Stars: The Pit leans harder on variance: Random floors, scarce resources, and crafting recipe luck
Optimization7 vs 8
Sword of the Stars: The Pit leans harder on optimization: Recipe knowledge and resource budgeting decide deep runs
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.