head to head
vs
The Long DarkvsThea: The Awakening
The Long Dark leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos); Thea: The Awakening leans Variance (Systems & Chaos).
The Long DarkThea: The Awakening
Axis by axis
Execution2 vs 2
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads0 vs 1
Thea: The Awakening leans harder on reads: All opponents are scripted or random; no adaptive opponent exists
Variance6 vs 7
Thea: The Awakening leans harder on variance: Card draws, random event decks, and creature behavior carry very high 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.