Choose The Maw
Choose The Maw if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 82.8% positive across 209 reviews.
The Maw vs Yooka-Laylee
The Maw and Yooka-Laylee both land in Action, Indie 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 on Steam. The Maw (2009) is 8 years older than Yooka-Laylee (2017). The Maw scores higher on Steam reviews (82.8% positive) than Yooka-Laylee (75.1% 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 Yooka-Laylee
Choose Yooka-Laylee if you want an Adventure game with Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Shared/Split Screen PvP. On Steam, it's the newer release (2017) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 1,992 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both The Maw and Yooka-Laylee sit in Action and Indie 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 Maw |  Yooka-Laylee | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2009 | 2017 |
| Genres | Action, Indie | Action, Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Verified |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 82.8% positive (209 reviews) | 75.1% positive (1,992 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Twisted Pixel Games | Playtonic Games |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- The Maw (2009) is 8 years older than Yooka-Laylee (2017).
- The Maw scores higher on Steam reviews (82.8% positive) than Yooka-Laylee (75.1% positive).
- The Maw is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than Yooka-Laylee (9.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Yooka-Laylee has co-op; The Maw does not.
- Steam Deck: The Maw is Deck Unsupported, Yooka-Laylee is Deck Verified.
The Maw vs Yooka-Laylee — FAQ
- Which is better, The Maw or Yooka-Laylee?
- On Steam reviews The Maw scores higher (82.8% positive) than Yooka-Laylee (75.1% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, The Maw 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 Maw or Yooka-Laylee first?
- If you want chronology, The Maw (2009) came out before Yooka-Laylee (2017). 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 Maw and Yooka-Laylee similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie 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 The Maw have multiplayer like Yooka-Laylee?
- No. Yooka-Laylee supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op), while The Maw is listed as single-player only.