Choose Catmaze
Choose Catmaze if it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. Catmaze launched in 2018.
Catmaze vs Deepening Fire
Catmaze and Deepening Fire 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. Catmaze (2018) is 5 years older than Deepening Fire (2023). Catmaze scores higher on Steam reviews (83.4% positive) than Deepening Fire (76.5% 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 Deepening Fire
Choose Deepening Fire if it's the newer release (2023) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Deepening Fire launched in 2023.
Both Catmaze and Deepening Fire 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
 Catmaze |  Deepening Fire | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2023 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Playable |
| Price | 2.09 USD | 2.39 USD |
| Steam reviews | 83.4% positive (265 reviews) | 76.5% positive (51 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Redblack Spade | VeryBigDog |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Catmaze (2018) is 5 years older than Deepening Fire (2023).
- Catmaze scores higher on Steam reviews (83.4% positive) than Deepening Fire (76.5% positive).
- Catmaze is currently ~13% cheaper on Steam than Deepening Fire (2.09 USD vs. 2.39 USD).
- Steam Deck: Catmaze is Deck Verified, Deepening Fire is Deck Playable.
Catmaze vs Deepening Fire — FAQ
- Should I play Catmaze or Deepening Fire first?
- If you want chronology, Catmaze (2018) came out before Deepening Fire (2023). 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 Catmaze and Deepening Fire 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.