Hotline Miami, a top-down shooter video game developed by Dennaton Games and published by Devolver Digital, was released.
Hotline Miami received widespread critical acclaim and gained a large cult following for its fast-paced gameplay, challenging levels, and unique 1980s aesthetic.
Hotline Miami was released on several platforms beyond PC, including PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, and later on other platforms, expanding its audience.
Jacket receives the first mysterious VHS tape instructing him to carry out a killing at a local Russian gangster's apartment, marking the start of his violent spree.
Jacket embarks on a series of brutal killings targeting members of the Russian mafia as instructed by anonymous calls.
Jacket kills The Biker, a violent henchman, during one of his missions, signaling increasing resistance from gang members.
The Russian mafia launches retaliatory attacks against Jacket and other victims, increasing the city's underworld violence.
Jacket begins receiving phone calls from a mysterious group called The Fans, pushing him towards more violent tasks with unclear motives.
After multiple killings, Jacket starts to experience hallucinations and paranoia, questioning his sanity and the reality behind his actions.
Jacket infiltrates and eliminates key members of the Russian mafia at a meat packing plant after receiving a decisive call.
Jacket encounters Richter, an antagonist and leader of a vigilante group targeting Jacket's killing spree, escalating the deadly conflict.
Richter's group retaliates by attacking Jacket's apartment, further blurring the lines between hunter and hunted.
Jacket confronts Richter in a bloody fight leading to Richter's death, ending the immediate gang war but leaving Jacket's fate ambiguous.
After the final battle, Jacket disappears without a trace, his motives and identity remaining a mystery.
