head to head
vs
Rush RoyalevsXCOM: Enemy Unknown
Rush Royale leans Variance (Systems & Chaos); XCOM: Enemy Unknown leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos).
Rush RoyaleXCOM: Enemy Unknown
Axis by axis
Execution2 vs 3
XCOM: Enemy Unknown leans harder on execution: Turn-based; no twitch inputs; cover placement has mild precision
Reads2 vs 1
Rush Royale leans harder on reads: Opponents race waves in parallel, little direct mind-gaming
Variance7 vs 7
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization7 vs 8
XCOM: Enemy Unknown leans harder on optimization: Squad composition, research order, and base economy are solvable
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.