Metamaterial structures have attracted significant attention in recent years due to their favorable strength, impact resistance, and high energy absorption capability. In this study, the structural behavior of an auxetic inspired honeycomb metamaterial under quasi static in plane compression is investigated. First, the mechanical properties of the material were determined through tensile testing of PLA+ specimens fabricated using FDM additive manufacturing. Numerical modeling was then performed in ABAQUS, where a series of geometric modifications were examined under two design strategies: outward modifications and inward modifications. The results indicate that outward modifications lead to reduced energy absorption because they introduce additional stress concentrations and weaken the collapse mechanism. Conversely, inward modifications significantly improve performance by incorporating internal sub structures that enhance stability and distribute stresses more uniformly. Among all examined cases, the second order internal mixed honeycomb exhibited the highest improvement in specific energy absorption and demonstrated stable deformation patterns. This configuration is therefore identified as a promising candidate for future industrial applications requiring lightweight and highly efficient energy absorbing structures.