head to head
vs
Shelter 2vsThe Vanishing of Ethan Carter
Shelter 2 leans Variance (Light / Casual); The Vanishing of Ethan Carter leans Optimization (Light / Casual).
Shelter 2The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
Axis by axis
Execution2 vs 1
Shelter 2 leans harder on execution: Chasing prey takes light steering, nothing more
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance3 vs 2
Shelter 2 leans harder on variance: Prey spawns and seasons vary each playthrough
Optimization3 vs 3
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.