Choose Hotline Miami
Choose Hotline Miami if it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 40,733 Steam reviews back the pick.
Hotline Miami vs Pulstario
Hotline Miami and Pulstario both land in Action, Indie 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 Action, Indie on Steam. Hotline Miami (2012) is 7 years older than Pulstario (2019). Pulstario scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than Hotline Miami (96.7% 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 Pulstario
Choose Pulstario if it's currently about 90% cheaper on the Steam Store. Pulstario launched in 2019.
Both Hotline Miami and Pulstario sit in Action and Indie on Steam and both list Steam Leaderboards, 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
 Hotline Miami |  Pulstario | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2012 | 2019 |
| Genres | Action, Indie | Action, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 0.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 96.7% positive (40,733 reviews) | 100% positive (21 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Dennaton Games | Fred Wood |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Hotline Miami (2012) is 7 years older than Pulstario (2019).
- Pulstario scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than Hotline Miami (96.7% positive).
- Pulstario is currently ~90% cheaper on Steam than Hotline Miami (0.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- Hotline Miami is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Pulstario has no Deck rating yet.
Hotline Miami vs Pulstario — FAQ
- Should I play Hotline Miami or Pulstario first?
- If you want chronology, Hotline Miami (2012) came out before Pulstario (2019). 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 Hotline Miami and Pulstario similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie 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 Hotline Miami run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Hotline Miami is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Pulstario doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.