diff --git a/configs/evaluation/poster.yaml b/configs/evaluation/poster.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..048a785
--- /dev/null
+++ b/configs/evaluation/poster.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+# @package evaluation
+# Configuration for the models used in the poster comparison.
+
+# Standard evaluation settings
+evaluate_checkpoints: false
+eval_max_steps: 5000
+eval_seed: 0
+
+# Cross-model comparison settings
+# We use 10 episodes to get a more robust average for the final poster results.
+comparison_base_seed: 0
+comparison_num_episodes: 10
+comparison_output_csv: "metrics/poster_comparison.csv"
+
+# Paths to the .cleanrl_model files to be compared (relative to workspace root).
+# These are placeholders; replace with actual trained model paths for the poster.
+comparison_models:
+  - "experiments/poster/centralized.cleanrl_model"
+  - "experiments/poster/decentralized.cleanrl_model"
+  - "experiments/poster/decentralized_amputated.cleanrl_model"
diff --git a/src/brittle_star_project/configs/config_evaluation.py b/src/brittle_star_project/configs/config_evaluation.py
index 4eeadbc..69c6609 100644
--- a/src/brittle_star_project/configs/config_evaluation.py
+++ b/src/brittle_star_project/configs/config_evaluation.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-from dataclasses import dataclass
+from dataclasses import dataclass, field
 
 
 @dataclass
@@ -16,6 +16,16 @@ class EvaluationConfig:
     eval_max_steps: int = 5000
     eval_seed: int = 0
 
+    # Cross-model comparison settings.
+    # comparison_base_seed is the starting seed for generating episode seeds.
+    comparison_base_seed: int = 0
+    # comparison_num_episodes controls how many target positions to evaluate for each model.
+    comparison_num_episodes: int = 5
+    # comparison_models lists the paths (relative to workspace root) to the .cleanrl_model files.
+    comparison_models: list[str] = field(default_factory=list)
+    # Path where the comparison results CSV will be saved (relative to workspace root).
+    comparison_output_csv: str = "metrics/model_comparison.csv"
+
     def __post_init__(self) -> None:
         if self.evaluate_checkpoints and self.eval_max_steps <= 0:
             raise ValueError(
diff --git a/src/brittle_star_project/evaluation/__init__.py b/src/brittle_star_project/evaluation/__init__.py
index 2922d04..f9ed595 100644
--- a/src/brittle_star_project/evaluation/__init__.py
+++ b/src/brittle_star_project/evaluation/__init__.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ from .evaluate_mjx import (
     build_eval_rollout_fn,
     evaluate_checkpoint_mjx,
 )
+from .evaluate import evaluate_policy
 from .policy import PolicyAgent, ControlPolicy
 from .rollout import rollout_headless, rollout_viewer, EpisodeResult
 from .video import record_episode, create_evaluation_dir, save_evaluation_metadata
@@ -22,6 +23,8 @@ __all__ = [
     "append_checkpoint_eval_row",
     "build_eval_rollout_fn",
     "evaluate_checkpoint_mjx",
+    # CPU evaluation
+    "evaluate_policy",
     # policy
     "PolicyAgent",
     "ControlPolicy",
diff --git a/src/brittle_star_project/evaluation/evaluate.py b/src/brittle_star_project/evaluation/evaluate.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..12cc6fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/brittle_star_project/evaluation/evaluate.py
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+"""MJC-based (CPU) checkpoint evaluation.
+
+This module provides the CPU-bound evaluation path using the standard MJC backend.
+It is primarily used by the `evaluate_checkpoints` CLI to compute metrics and
+render videos.
+"""
+
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import numpy as np
+
+from brittle_star_project.environment.BrittleStarJaxEnvWrapper import BrittleStarJaxEnvWrapper
+from brittle_star_project.environment.obs_processing import create_obs_processor
+from brittle_star_project.evaluation.policy import PolicyAgent
+from brittle_star_project.evaluation.rollout import EpisodeResult, rollout_headless
+
+
+def evaluate_policy(
+    env: BrittleStarJaxEnvWrapper,
+    policy_path: str | Path,
+    seed: int,
+    max_steps: int,
+) -> EpisodeResult:
+    """Evaluate a trained policy in a CPU-bound environment.
+
+    Args:
+        env: Initialised CPU environment (MJC backend).
+        policy_path: Path to the ``.cleanrl_model`` weights file.
+        seed: Random seed for environment reset.
+        max_steps: Maximum number of control steps.
+
+    Returns:
+        Structured result containing return, length, and distance metrics.
+    """
+    obs_processor = create_obs_processor(
+        bounds_dict=env.cfg.obs_bounds.to_bounds_dict(),
+        padding_masks=env.padding_masks,
+    )
+
+    action_dim = env.single_action_space.shape[0]
+
+    policy = PolicyAgent.from_checkpoint(
+        model_path=Path(policy_path),
+        action_dim=action_dim,
+        obs_processor=obs_processor,
+    )
+
+    action_low = np.asarray(env.single_action_space.low, dtype=np.float32)
+    action_high = np.asarray(env.single_action_space.high, dtype=np.float32)
+
+    return rollout_headless(
+        env=env,
+        policy=policy,
+        seed=seed,
+        max_steps=max_steps,
+        action_low=action_low,
+        action_high=action_high,
+    )
diff --git a/src/brittle_star_project/evaluation/rollout.py b/src/brittle_star_project/evaluation/rollout.py
index 79c86ed..a8eb8db 100644
--- a/src/brittle_star_project/evaluation/rollout.py
+++ b/src/brittle_star_project/evaluation/rollout.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ class EpisodeResult:
     length: int
     reached_target: bool
     final_xy_dist: float | None
+    initial_target_distance: float | None
 
 
 def _get_observations(state: Any) -> dict[str, Any] | None:
@@ -61,6 +62,7 @@ def rollout_headless(
     ep_return = 0.0
     observations = _get_observations(state)
     prev_dist = _get_xy_distance_to_target(observations) if observations else None
+    initial_target_distance = prev_dist
     reached_target = _target_reached(state=state)
 
     steps = 0
@@ -91,6 +93,7 @@ def rollout_headless(
         length=steps,
         reached_target=reached_target,
         final_xy_dist=final_dist,
+        initial_target_distance=initial_target_distance,
     )