Choose Hot Lava
Choose Hot Lava if you want an Indie experience. 2,567 Steam reviews back the pick.
Hot Lava vs Lost Marbles
Hot Lava and Lost Marbles both land in Action, Adventure, Racing 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, Adventure, Racing on Steam. Hot Lava (2019) is 3 years older than Lost Marbles (2022). Lost Marbles scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than Hot Lava (93.2% 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 Lost Marbles
Choose Lost Marbles if you want a Casual and Early Access experience. On Steam, it's currently about 50% cheaper on the Steam Store. Lost Marbles launched in 2022.
Both Hot Lava and Lost Marbles sit in Action, Adventure, and Racing on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and PvP, 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
 Hot Lava |  Lost Marbles | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2019 | 2022 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Racing | Action, Adventure, Casual, Early Access, Racing |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 93.2% positive (2,567 reviews) | 100% positive (17 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player |
| Developers | Klei Entertainment | Cabbeast Games |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Adventure, Racing on Steam.
- Hot Lava (2019) is 3 years older than Lost Marbles (2022).
- Lost Marbles scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than Hot Lava (93.2% positive).
- Lost Marbles is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than Hot Lava (9.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Hot Lava is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Lost Marbles has no Deck rating yet.
Hot Lava vs Lost Marbles — FAQ
- Should I play Hot Lava or Lost Marbles first?
- If you want chronology, Hot Lava (2019) came out before Lost Marbles (2022). 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 Hot Lava and Lost Marbles similar?
- They overlap on Action, Adventure, Racing 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 Hot Lava run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Hot Lava is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Lost Marbles doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.