Hotline Miami burst into the gaming scene a decade ago with its mega-compact top-down shooter that has the unholy combination of violence and glee.
The industry could still feel the impact of this game released in 2012 with games emulating its pixel-perfect frenetic pace and barbarity. Although games like Hotline Miami had waned down in numbers considerably, some parts of this modern classic can still be seen in newly-released games.
No game ever massaged the id and feed the player’s inner beast to set them on trance as Hotline Miami. Here are 15 other games that have similar gameplay and maybe even psychological effects as what Hotline Miami served its fans.
Hotline Miami Game Features
 Release Date: | 23 October 2012 |
 Developer: | Dennaton Games |
 Publisher: | Devolver Digital |
 Platforms: | Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Android, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Stadia |
 Genre: | Top-down shooter |
 Setting: | Real World |
 Game Modes: | Single-player |
1. Grand Theft Auto
This should not be a surprise. Grand Theft Auto (GTA) is the forefather of violent video games. Not because it was the first of its kind, no, it was the first one to sell like gangbusters and its mechanics and setting hit so close at home.
Ushering prostitutes around, killing lots of pedestrians, and escaping the police were just a few of the unlawful acts you commit playing this game. The first and second GTA titles are all top-down shooters just like Hotline Miami. A gentle reminder that gaming’s poster child is not always a 3D game with realistic graphics.
Grand Theft Auto was not a level-based bonanza. Instead, it was a sandbox game that had you dealing drugs, assassinating people, and jacking cars. Even if the game was colossal in its setting, the dopamine-discharging fix of high score-chasing was the crux of this game. Scores were given for every wrongdoing you commit while completing missions.
Grand Theft Auto may be ugly today, but it was glorious at the time of its release. And many games had taken inspiration from it, its sequels, upping everything from graphical violence to scope.
- Developer: Rockstar North
- Publisher: Rockstar Games
- Release Date: June 30, 1998 – PlayStation One, November 24, 1998 (PC) / November 22, 1999 (Gameboy Color)
- Platform: PlayStation One, PC, Game Boy Color
2. Luftrausers
Hotline Miami is also known for its stylized art style. Luftrausers also had this in spades with its sepia tone, muting the destruction of flying airplanes and gigantic warships. Set in World War I, players are put into a bullet hell with the skies filled with mayhem. And with successful missions, you are rewarded with unlockable weapons.
Luftrausers was not strictly a top-down shooter. It had you control a plane at every angle in a fixed side-view point of view. However, most of the core mechanics in Hotline Miami were also present here like unlocking weapons, in Hotline Miami’s case, masks that grant special abilities.
You can unlock weapons by completing specific tasks in every battle. This task required the use of the unlockable weapon, he must repeat levels to unlock new things. In short, the game was very replayable as new unlockables offer new perspectives, and then they also unlocked new things.
This game loop was highly addictive given the absolute frantic pace and the risk-versus-reward maneuverings in chaining kills. Color schemes were also unlockable but some of the offerings were honestly terrible. Nevertheless, the mix and matching of weapons was enticing and worked incredibly well.
- Developer: Vlambeer
- Publisher: Devolver Digital
- Release Date: March 18, 2014 (PC, PS3, Vita) / December 20, 2014 (Android)
- Platform: PC, PS3, Vita, Android
3. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is a brutal game with themes that are not for everyone. It is based on the Judeo-Christian parable of God instructing Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. Just because of this, in terms of violence, Binding of Isaac exceeded Hotline Miami exponentially.
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth was a game made by one of the makers of Super Meat Boy, so violence was already on the menu. It starred a child named, appropriately, Isaac. Instead of shooting bullets, you shoot tears to ward off enemies.
Unlike Hotline Miami, The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth had rogue-like elements specifically the infamous permanent death consequence. This was not in Hotline Miami; you could just restart the current level if you did not reach the target score or got killed in one shot.
You were not punished for failing by losing all your masks and progress. Put this in mind before buying this game, as made this mechanic made the game taxing to anyone who just wanted to play some video games.
- Developer: Nicalis
- Publisher: Nicalis
- Release Date: November 4, 2014 (PC, Mac, PS4, Vita) / November 23, 2015 (New 3DS, Wii U) / July 23, 2015 (Xbox One) / January 11, 2017 (iOS) /
- Platform: PC, Mac, Vita, PS4, New 3DS, Wii U,
4. Streets of Rogue
Streets of Rogue is another roguelike game on this list. Unlike most of the games listed before this, Streets of Rogue does not ride on nihilism. Instead, it employs a humorous premise. Streets of Rogue starts with a city that has its mayor ban chicken nuggets. Yes, the food.
Streets of Rogue randomly generated a city where the players had to start their misadventures. The city was not a sprawling GTA city like San Andreas. The city generated consisted of levels as it seemed like the entire city was built like a tower. This made the game progress by level by climbing up.
The missions were also randomized ranging from killing targets to doing non-combat and specific things. The characters were also as farcical as the premise with the city being populated by bartenders, ninjas, and werewolves. The player’s controlled character was also silly–you can be a scientist, a comedian, or even a gorilla.
- Developer: Matt Dabrowski
- Publisher: tinyBuild
- Release Date: July 12, 2019
- Platform: PC, Mac, Switch, PS4, Xbox One, Android
5. GARAGE: Bad Trip
GARAGE: Bad Trip has all the makings of a Hotline Miami’s ethos. It is a top-down shooter that boasts pixelated graphics as art direction and dons out MIDI-esque music. This game nails the 80s aesthetics. It is also a challenging game without taking away enjoyability, even for those who are not into difficult games.
GARAGE: Bad Trip had a dark narrative that was also seen in its visuals. It featured the main character escaping a trunk. Various battles were then thrown at the character. Zombies were the main enemies in this game with mysteries slowly getting unfold as the game progresses.
The variety in this game was aplenty. Every other level or so, the game throws new things to challenge players. Environmental hazards like radiation, lightning storm, or man-made disasters like riots would have occurred to spice things up.
GARAGE: Bad Trip was a good trip back the memory lane. It was reminiscent of B-movies in the VHS era. In style and in substance, this game got everything grindhouse movement was all about.
- Developer: Zombie Dynamics
- Publisher: tinyBuild
- Release Date: July 6, 2018
- Platform: PC
6. APE OUT
APE OUT, in all-caps, is bursting in style. It is arguable that this has better music than Hotline Miami. The soundtrack of this game is godly. You have to play this game just for that jazzy music alone.
APE OUT situated players in a frenzied killing spree where enemies were made as a meat shield. The point of the game was to rush into the nearest exit tearing everything that came your way. It was not a straightforward journey as traps and twisting corridors impeded you from finishing the game.
Obviously, this game was about apes. You were to guide these apes to freedom. And on your way to independence, a lot of bodies should hit the floor. The objective in this game was always the same, exit to the nearest door and kill everyone else.
The ultraviolence juxtaposed with the dynamic jazz-inspired music may seem incompatible. However, the decapitations and blood splatters beat to the rhythm of the drums fittingly. The art direction was also way more stylized than Hotline Miami.
- Developer: Gabe Cuzzillo, Bennett Foddy, Matt Boch
- Publisher: Devolver Digital
- Release Date: February 8, 2019 (PC, Nintendo Switch)
- Platform: PC, Switch
7. 64.0
If you want to go primal in the most minimal way, 64.0 is the game of choice. This game only has boxes to represent you, the bad guys, and the good guys. The chiptune soundtrack takes you back to the time when Pong is king.
64.0 would remind you of the good old days of gaming. It is simple, not basic. The graphics were just lines and muted colors. This arcade game was all about shooting the right targets and running at you in four directions. Great reflexes were a mandatory requirement for this game, and so did unfailing eyesight.
This was a challenging game, hence, anyone looking for a laidback game should stay far away from 64.0. Also, the music might have been put front and center in the description of this game but this was in no way a rhythm game.
- Developer: rebel rabbit
- Publisher: GrabTheGames (PC) / indienova (Switch)
- Release Date: March 16, 2017 (PC, Nintendo Switch)
- Platform: PC, Switch
8. Man of Honor
This game is more akin to the original GTA with the high-score chasing core mechanic. Man of Honor follows the story of a former mafia member. It is a top-down shooter fueled by revenge.
The objective of Man of Honor was to kill gangsters as fast as you can to keep up your multiplier. As you execute gangsters, the power and the size of your bullets also get stronger and bigger respectively. You could also acquire suits, like masks in Hotline Miami, to change the features of the controlled character.
There was also a gameplay mechanic similar to Max Payne. You could slow down enemies to a crawl. To maximize the brutality, you could also take on your fallen enemy as a meat shield.
- Developer: Simbryo
- Publisher: Simbryo
- Release Date: December 2017
- Platform: PC
9. Total Anarchy: Pavilion City
If you are not enticed by the GTA recommendation because it really does show its age in various aspects. Total Anarchy: Pavilion City should be the modern equivalent for the city-riding killing spree that you are looking to satisfy within you.
Total Anarchy: Pavilion City being a modern rendition of top-down GTAs did not mean that it departed from the art direction. This game retained the 90’s aesthetic with polished PlayStation One graphics. The radio stations (which track amounting to two hours) were a nice touch too.
Basically, the same GTA core mechanic and premise: kill people, steal things, jack cars, and sell drugs, all the while enjoying these activities guilt-free. You could also buy properties to increase your income, although the mechanics of building your empire was admittedly shallow.
Unlike GTA, Total Anarchy: Pavilion City was a very short game. You should find another source for your needs in this list.
- Developer: Fionn Hodgson
- Publisher: Sumerian Games
- Release Date: May 31, 2022
- Platform: PC
10. Ruiner
Ruiner is the distant cousin of Hotline Miami. Although this game also deals with top-down shooting hordes and hordes of enemy forces, it has heavy RPG elements which Hotline Miami has none. Still, the game is a polished product that should satiate the same hunger for killing enemies en masse.
Ruiner was basically the cyberpunk equivalent of Hotline Miami set in a futuristic city of Rengkok. This game had tight controls which were honestly not one of the great characteristics of a top-down shooter. How many times you would have sworn that the controls messed up your game? In Ruiner, you would never have this excuse due to its precise control.
This game was fueled by revenge in its storytelling albeit it was more complicated than a basic revenge story might infer. There was certainly a pattern with these violent games that has vengeance as the foundation. It was also quite interesting that the protagonist here was mentally ill.
Ruiner did a lot of right things that Hotline Miami provided in its blueprint. The melee combat felt satisfying. The shooting felt great as the carnage was left on the floor ruining the concrete jungle of Rengkok. The aesthetics really emanates into the adrenaline-fueled gameplay. This was great controlling, looker of a top-down shooter showcase.
- Developer: Reikon Games
- Publisher: Devolver Digital
- Release Date: September 26, 2017 (PC, PS4, Xbox One) / June 18, 2020 (Nintendo Switch)
- Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch
11. Roombo: First Blood
Roombo: First Blood is a farcical word play Rambo: First Blood, one of the GOATs in the action movie genre. Nothing from that movie is similar to this game. Roombo: First Blood lets you control a robot vacuum cleaner in deadly berserk.
The robot vacuum cleaner was not just tasked to clean the house, it also provided a security system. An excessive amount of security system, that is. You ruthlessly fend off burglars of your home with no holds barred.
The manner in dispatching the burglars was nothing short of genius. The robot vacuum cleaner could tap on the smart gadgets peppered all over the residence.
Ceiling fans would fall on top of the head of the thieves. Or you could launch the robot into the unsuspecting bandits. And at the end of the day, you have to clean up your own bloody mess.
- Developer: Samurai Punk
- Publisher: Samurai Punk
- Release Date: August 8, 2019 (PC) / December 23 2019 (Nintendo Switch) / February 2, 2021 (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S)
- Platform: PC, PS, Xbox, Switch
12. Akane
Violence and cyberpunk are the common themes in games that are similar to Hotline Miami. Akane is no exception. Akane’s main strength compared to any of the games in this list is that it implements melee combat.
Akane reveled in the fact that it is a challenging game since you would get killed with one shot. This core mechanic upped the stakes and let you participate in a battle carefully. The incongruity of keeping a defensive stance in a frenzied arena was an achievement. While you were vulnerable to a one-shot kill, so did your enemies (with the exception of one type of enemy)
Akane was also stylized with its neon-bright art direction. The music was great too. These perfectly blended with the fast-paced gameplay. The must-experience feature of this game was the special attack. This was made available once you hit a specific number of kills.
- Developer: Ludic Studios
- Publisher: Ludic Studios
- Release Date: September 10, 2018 (PC) / May 17, 2019 (Nintendo Switch)
- Platform: PC, Switch
13. Esse Proxy
This is a relatively new game being released in the year 2022. Esse Proxy is another cyberpunk shooter taking its cues from Hotline Miami. Players fight normal grunts to cybernetically-enhanced ninjas.
Esse Proxy’s visual style was astounding. Neon lights, noisy scanline-like filters, and cyberpunk color grading were splashed down to the screen to evoke the dystopian future. Unlike most of the games here, you controlled different characters per level. Each of these characters had unique abilities and sets of strengths and weaknesses.
Esse Proxy was a hard yet rewarding game. You will perish if you get hit successfully just like its inspiration Hotline Miami. You must be a quick thinker and learn enemy positions. Base your strategy on enemy positions.
Esse Proxy’s art direction was top-notch. The animation is also very fluid. Not to mention, the soundtrack pumping out during all the fighting increases the hype. Dismembering fictional pixel creatures had never been this aesthetically pleasing.
- Developer: FromSouthGames
- Publisher: FromSouthGames
- Release Date: July 11, 2022
- Platform: PC
14. 12 is Better Than 6
12 is Better Than 6 is Hotline Miami with a Western twist. The art direction goes the way of pen and paper graphic style punctuated by monochrome tones. The spray of blood makes the violence pop out of the drab backdrop. This game is more puzzle-like as compared to most of the games on this list.
12 is Better Than 6 could be played through stealth or in-your-face style. This game featured an amnesiac protagonist waking up in a Mexican hellhole. The only thing the protagonists remember was his unparalleled skill in massacring lots and lots of people.
You may use knives, pistols, guns, explosives, and even a bow in later stages. Stealth is an option, with a limited number of ways across a level where you can skip or sneak up on most foes, knifing them in the back and grabbing their weapon.
Although, the game would give you no choice but to go guns-a-blazing due to the positioning of enemy forces. One of the underrated aspects of this game was the item system. You could upgrade your armor and skills that will help you slither your way in and out of trouble.
- Developer: Ink Stains Games
- Publisher: HypeTrain Digital
- Release Date: November 20, 2015 (PC) / March 5, 2019 (Nintendo Switch)
- Platform: PC / Switch
15. Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number
Hotline Miami 2’s gameplay was expanded. The original was well-known to be compact. In the sequel, the levels are much larger. Hotline Miami 2 also required players to use guns instead of melee weapons. In the original game, both methods of dealing with deathblows were more or less on equal footing.
Nevertheless, Hotline Miami 2 controlled better than the original. It was just objectively better in the controls department. Some people scoff at the story of the sequel, but do we really play these games (or video games in general) for the story?
- Developer: Dennaton Games / Abstraction Games
- Publisher: Devolver Digital
- Release Date: March 10, 2015 (PC, PS3, PS4, Vita) / August 4, 2015 (Android) / August 19, 2019 (Nintendo Switch) / April 7, 2022 (Xbox One)
- Platform: PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Android, Switch, Xbox One
Conclusion
Hotline Miami had spawned a lot of these wrath-filled top-down shooters. You can be sure that the games in this list will scratch that nerd-rage itch. There are many more games with the same blueprint as Hotline Miami that are to be released or are currently in the Early Access stage.
