Review · Action · Linux · Nintendo Switch · Xbox One
Hotline Miami
Reviewed: 13 May 2026
Linux · Nintendo Switch · Xbox One · PlayStation 4 · PS Vita · PC
Devolver Digital · 2012
Ludograph rating
C
Mixed
54 /100
Hotline Miami is an action shooter that builds strategic thinking and hand-eye coordination, but features extreme violence and gore.
Growth (BDS)
42
Risk (RIS)
24
Daily limit
–
Age guidance
17+
Developmental benefits
| B1 | Cognitive | 0.54 | |
| B2 | Social-emotional | 0.07 | |
| B3 | Motor | 0.65 | |
Hotline Miami offers intense strategic combat that requires quick thinking, spatial awareness, and problem-solving to overcome challenging levels. Players will develop strong hand-eye coordination and reaction time as they master the fast-paced gameplay. The game's adaptive challenge ensures that players are constantly learning and applying new tactics.
Design risks
| R1 | Compulsion-loop pressure | 0.00 | |
| R2 | Monetization | 0.00 | |
| R3 | Social risk | 0.00 | |
This game features extreme violence, including graphic depictions of gore and dismemberment, which is often trivialized. There is also some sexual content and references to drug use. The narrative explores themes of mental deterioration and can be disturbing. The game's content is not suitable for younger audiences and may be unsettling for some mature players.
Content (not in risk score)
| R4.1 | Violence Level | 1.00 | |
| R4.2 | Sexual Content | 0.33 | |
| R4.3 | Language | 0.67 | |
| R4.4 | Substance References | 0.67 | |
| R4.5 | Fear / Horror | 0.67 | |
Content risk is displayed separately and does not affect the time recommendation.
Regulatory design checks · DSA — Assessed: meets criteria·GDPR-K — Assessed: meets criteria·ODDS — Assessed: meets criteria
- DSA:What Ludograph checks: whether the game's design gives minors the transparency the EU Digital Services Act expects: plain terms, honest defaults, and clear reporting routes.: Estimated from review data. No dark pattern or child-targeting concerns found.
- GDPR-K:What Ludograph checks: whether age assurance and consent flows are designed for under-16s, in the spirit of GDPR Article 8.: Estimated from review data. No privacy or child-targeting concerns found.
- ODDS:What Ludograph checks: whether paid random-reward drop rates are disclosed, as required in China, Japan and South Korea.: Estimated from review data. No paid random-reward mechanics found, so drop-rate disclosure requirements do not apply.
These reflect Ludograph's assessment of the game's design practices against each framework's criteria, not a legal compliance determination.