Choose Malum
Choose Malum if it matches what drew you to this matchup. Malum launched in 2021.
Malum vs Inside the Labs
Malum and Inside the Labs both land in Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam. Malum (2021) is 3 years older than Inside the Labs (2024). Inside the Labs scores higher on Steam reviews (73.7% positive) than Malum (72.5% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Inside the Labs
Choose Inside the Labs if it's currently about 40% cheaper on the Steam Store. Inside the Labs launched in 2024.
Both Malum and Inside the Labs sit in Action, Indie, and Adventure on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online Co-op, and Co-op, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (72.5% vs 73.7% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 Malum |  Inside the Labs | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2021 | 2024 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure | Action, Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Playable |
| Price | 4.99 USD | 2.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 72.5% positive (233 reviews) | 73.7% positive (57 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | MalumGames | Chreseeba Games |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Malum (2021) is 3 years older than Inside the Labs (2024).
- Inside the Labs scores higher on Steam reviews (73.7% positive) than Malum (72.5% positive).
- Inside the Labs is currently ~40% cheaper on Steam than Malum (2.99 USD vs. 4.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Inside the Labs is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Malum has no Deck rating yet.
Malum vs Inside the Labs — FAQ
- Should I play Malum or Inside the Labs first?
- If you want chronology, Malum (2021) came out before Inside the Labs (2024). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Malum and Inside the Labs similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Do both Malum and Inside the Labs have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Malum ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Inside the Labs ships Online Co-op, Co-op.