The Maw similar games & best alternatives

The Maw - Trailer
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The Maw - the-maw_2.avif
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The Maw

PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox 360 • 2009

Should you play it?

The pinnacle of alien evolution, Maw is a cowardly fat blob concerned mostly with snacking and lounging. He can, however, absorb the traits of anything he eats, is virtually indestructible, and can grow to unlimited size. If he wasn't a danger to all life in the universe, he'd make the perfect pet.

What works

  • Charming and cute characters
  • Simple and accessible gameplay
  • Relaxing and stress-free experience
  • Colorful and cartoonish art style
  • Good value especially with dlc on sale

Things to keep in mind

  • Short game length
  • Some camera and control issues
  • Limited challenge and puzzle depth
  • Repetitive gameplay elements
  • Dlc perceived as cut content sold separately

What to play next

Top picks

Games that feels the closest overall

  • Disney Infinity 1.0: Gold Edition

  • New Super Lucky's Tale

  • Kao the Kangaroo

  • Blade Kitten

  • The Last Tinker™: City of Colors

  • Shantae: Half-Genie Hero

Less intimate

Games that feels like The Maw but with less focus on close relationships

  • Yooka-Laylee

  • Effie

  • Isle of Ewe

  • The RPG

  • Pumpkin Jack

  • Super Kiwi 64

Choose your own criteria ->

Similarity map

How to use the graph

Similarity map

Each dot is a game placed from its motivation profile relative to this page’s game. Direction shows which motivation differs most; distance along that axis shows how large the gap is.

  • Purple star: this page’s game at the centre — everything is relative to it.
  • Direction: each axis is a main motivational difference vs this game (e.g. more / less competitive).
  • Distance on an axis: how large that difference is (ring scales show +/− points).
  • Coloured chips: click to highlight games that mainly differ on that motivation; click again to reset.
  • Dotted line: link between this page’s game and the one selected for comparison.
  • Hover a dot to preview that game in the panel on the right; click to keep that comparison.
  • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom.

How to read the map This is a polar difference map: direction = which motivation differs, and distance = how much (same units as the sidebar deltas).

The Maw: A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Survival, Violence, Competition, Thrill. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Violence. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Story, Thrill.

Last update: 03/08/2026