head to head
vs
Space Quest: The Sarien EncountervsThe Secret of Monkey Island
Space Quest: The Sarien Encounter leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); The Secret of Monkey Island leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Space Quest: The Sarien EncounterThe Secret of Monkey Island
Axis by axis
Execution1 vs 1
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance3 vs 2
Space Quest: The Sarien Encounter leans harder on variance: Puzzle solutions hidden until discovered, then fixed
Optimization7 vs 8
The Secret of Monkey Island leans harder on optimization: Correct item combinations and dialogue chains fully determine 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.