The Maw

The Maw
Xbox Live Arcade cover
Developer(s)Twisted Pixel Games
Hothead Games (PC)
Publisher(s)Microsoft Game Studios
Composer(s)Winifred Phillips
EngineBeard
Platform(s)
ReleaseJanuary 21, 2009
Microsoft Windows
March 9, 2009
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

The Maw is a 2009 action-adventure video game developed by Twisted Pixel Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360. A port for Microsoft Windows developed by Hothead Games was released the same year. The game centers on the extraterrestrial Frank and a purple, amorphous creature called The Maw, who have crash-landed their spacecraft on an alien planet. The player assumes the role of Frank and directs The Maw—which can take on the abilities of objects and fauna it consumes—via a leash.

The game won the 2008 Audience Choice award at PAX10, and was a finalist at the 2009 Independent Games Festival. As of year-end 2011, The Maw had sold more than 237,000 units.