head to head
vs
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of TimevsThe Flame in the Flood
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos); The Flame in the Flood leans Variance (Systems & Chaos).
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of TimeThe Flame in the Flood
Axis by axis
Execution1 vs 2
The Flame in the Flood leans harder on execution: Rafting demands light steering, encounters avoidable
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance6 vs 7
The Flame in the Flood leans harder on variance: Procedural river and loot rolls shape every run
Optimization7 vs 7
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.