head to head
vs
South Park: The Stick of TruthvsYoung Merlin
South Park: The Stick of Truth leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Young Merlin leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery).
South Park: The Stick of TruthYoung Merlin
Axis by axis
Execution3 vs 4
Young Merlin leans harder on execution: Light action combat with forgiving spell-flinging
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance2 vs 3
Young Merlin leans harder on variance: Wordless icon puzzles hide their logic until deciphered
Optimization6 vs 6
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.