Choose Hotline Miami
Choose Hotline Miami if you want the Steam Leaderboards side of the pairing. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 40,733 Steam reviews back the pick.
Hotline Miami vs Heavy Memories
Hotline Miami and Heavy Memories 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 6 years older than Heavy Memories (2018). Hotline Miami scores higher on Steam reviews (96.7% positive) than Heavy Memories (71.4% 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 Heavy Memories
Choose Heavy Memories if you want a Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Heavy Memories launched in 2018.
Both Hotline Miami and Heavy Memories sit in Action and Indie on Steam, 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 |  Heavy Memories | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2012 | 2018 |
| Genres | Action, Indie | Action, Indie, Free To Play |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 96.7% positive (40,733 reviews) | 71.4% positive (14 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Dennaton Games | SaintHeiser |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Hotline Miami (2012) is 6 years older than Heavy Memories (2018).
- Hotline Miami scores higher on Steam reviews (96.7% positive) than Heavy Memories (71.4% positive).
- Heavy Memories is free; Hotline Miami is paid (9.99 USD).
- Hotline Miami is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Heavy Memories has no Deck rating yet.
Hotline Miami vs Heavy Memories — FAQ
- Should I play Hotline Miami or Heavy Memories first?
- If you want chronology, Hotline Miami (2012) came out before Heavy Memories (2018). 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 Heavy Memories 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.
- Is Heavy Memories free?
- Yes — Heavy Memories is a free-to-play Steam title. Hotline Miami is paid (9.99 USD).
- Does Hotline Miami run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Hotline Miami is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Heavy Memories doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.