head to head
vs
Pony IslandvsSolar 2
Pony Island leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery); Solar 2 leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery).
Pony IslandSolar 2
Axis by axis
Execution3 vs 4
Solar 2 leans harder on execution: Steering your body through hazards needs modest precision
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance3 vs 3
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization5 vs 6
Solar 2 leans harder on optimization: Knowing growth paths from asteroid to black hole drives progress
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.