head to head
vs
SpiritfarervsThe Cave
Spiritfarer leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); The Cave leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
SpiritfarerThe Cave
Axis by axis
Execution2 vs 2
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance1 vs 2
The Cave leans harder on variance: Each character's section is unknown on first descent
Optimization5 vs 6
The Cave leans harder on optimization: Three-character object-shuffling puzzles are the whole game
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.