Choose Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair
Choose Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair if it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair launched in 2019.
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair vs Ayo the Clown
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair and Ayo the Clown both land in 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 Indie, Adventure on Steam. Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair (2019) is 2 years older than Ayo the Clown (2021). Ayo the Clown scores higher on Steam reviews (85.7% positive) than Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair (82.2% 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 Ayo the Clown
Choose Ayo the Clown if you want an Action experience. On Steam, it's currently about 33% cheaper on the Steam Store. Ayo the Clown launched in 2021.
Both Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair and Ayo the Clown sit in 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
 Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair |  Ayo the Clown | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2019 | 2021 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure | Action, Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 29.99 USD | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 82.2% positive (595 reviews) | 85.7% positive (28 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Playtonic Games | Cloud M1 |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair (2019) is 2 years older than Ayo the Clown (2021).
- Ayo the Clown scores higher on Steam reviews (85.7% positive) than Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair (82.2% positive).
- Ayo the Clown is currently ~33% cheaper on Steam than Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair (19.99 USD vs. 29.99 USD).
- Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Ayo the Clown has no Deck rating yet.
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair vs Ayo the Clown — FAQ
- Should I play Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair or Ayo the Clown first?
- If you want chronology, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair (2019) came out before Ayo the Clown (2021). 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 Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair and Ayo the Clown similar?
- They overlap on 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 Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Ayo the Clown doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.