head to head
vs
SteamWorld DigvsThe Legend of Zelda: Four Swords
SteamWorld Dig leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery); The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery).
SteamWorld DigThe Legend of Zelda: Four Swords
Axis by axis
Execution4 vs 4
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads0 vs 1
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords leans harder on reads: Partners compete for rupees, adding faint social prediction
Variance4 vs 4
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization6 vs 5
SteamWorld Dig leans harder on optimization: Upgrade routing and efficient dig paths drive 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.