Choose The Forest
Choose The Forest if you want a Simulation game with Multi-player, Online Co-op, and LAN Co-op. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 95.3% positive across 175,474 reviews.
The Forest vs Maui
The Forest and Maui 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. Maui (2016) is 2 years older than The Forest (2018). The Forest scores higher on Steam reviews (95.3% positive) than Maui (54.4% 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 Maui
Choose Maui if you want a Free To Play and Casual experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Maui launched in 2016.
Both The Forest and Maui sit in Action, Indie, and Adventure on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 The Forest |  Maui | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2016 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Simulation | Action, Indie, Adventure, Free To Play, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 19.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 95.3% positive (175,474 reviews) | 54.4% positive (285 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Endnight Games Ltd | Kokua Games |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Maui (2016) is 2 years older than The Forest (2018).
- The Forest scores higher on Steam reviews (95.3% positive) than Maui (54.4% positive).
- Maui is free; The Forest is paid (19.99 USD).
- The Forest has co-op; Maui does not.
- The Forest is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Maui has no Deck rating yet.
The Forest vs Maui — FAQ
- Which is better, The Forest or Maui?
- On Steam reviews The Forest scores higher (95.3% positive) than Maui (54.4% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, The Forest is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play The Forest or Maui first?
- If you want chronology, Maui (2016) came out before The Forest (2018). 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 The Forest and Maui 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.
- Does Maui have multiplayer like The Forest?
- No. The Forest supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op), while Maui is listed as single-player only.
- Is Maui free?
- Yes — Maui is a free-to-play Steam title. The Forest is paid (19.99 USD).
- Does The Forest run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — The Forest is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Maui doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.