head to head

The Banner Saga cover artvsTorment: Tides of Numenera cover art

The Banner SagavsTorment: Tides of Numenera

The Banner Saga leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos); Torment: Tides of Numenera leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).

EXECUTION2 /10READS1 /10VARIANCE5 /10OPTIMIZATION7 /10
The Banner SagaTorment: Tides of Numenera

Axis by axis

Execution2 vs 1

The Banner Saga leans harder on execution: Turn-based; willpower spend timing is the sole execution nuance

Reads1 vs 1

Even - both lean on reads about the same.

Variance5 vs 4

The Banner Saga leans harder on variance: Armor/strength interaction and random narrative outcomes create variance

Optimization7 vs 7

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.

full breakdown

The Banner Saga

full breakdown

Torment: Tides of Numenera