head to head
vs
Sonic ManiavsSplit Fiction
Sonic Mania leans Execution (Practiced Mastery); Split Fiction leans Execution (Practiced Mastery).
Sonic ManiaSplit Fiction
Axis by axis
Execution7 vs 6
Sonic Mania leans harder on execution: High-speed reaction platforming
Reads1 vs 2
Split Fiction leans harder on reads: Co-op partner coordination involves light social reads
Variance2 vs 2
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization5 vs 5
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.