Choose Claw Machine Sim
Choose Claw Machine Sim if you want an Indie and Casual experience. On Steam, it's a focused single-player run rather than a multiplayer commitment. Claw Machine Sim launched in 2024.
Claw Machine Sim vs Athletics 99
Claw Machine Sim and Athletics 99 both land in Sports, Simulation 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 Sports, Simulation on Steam. Claw Machine Sim (2024) is 2 years older than Athletics 99 (2026). Claw Machine Sim is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Athletics 99 has no Deck rating yet. 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 Athletics 99
Choose Athletics 99 if you want a Racing game with Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Steam Leaderboards. Athletics 99 launched in 2026.
Both Claw Machine Sim and Athletics 99 sit in Sports and Simulation 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
 Claw Machine Sim |  Athletics 99 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2024 | 2026 |
| Genres | Sports, Indie, Simulation, Casual | Sports, Simulation, Racing |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 6.99 USD | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 96.2% positive (104 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player |
| Developers | Unechte Sachen | Kepri Studios |
Side by side
- Both share Sports, Simulation on Steam.
- Claw Machine Sim (2024) is 2 years older than Athletics 99 (2026).
- Claw Machine Sim is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Athletics 99 has no Deck rating yet.
Claw Machine Sim vs Athletics 99 — FAQ
- Should I play Claw Machine Sim or Athletics 99 first?
- If you want chronology, Claw Machine Sim (2024) came out before Athletics 99 (2026). 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 Claw Machine Sim and Athletics 99 similar?
- They overlap on Sports, Simulation 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 Claw Machine Sim have multiplayer like Athletics 99?
- No. Athletics 99 supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while Claw Machine Sim is listed as single-player only.
- Does Claw Machine Sim run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Claw Machine Sim is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Athletics 99 doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.