Hotline Miami
store.steampowered.com
Brutal top-down action game set in 1989 Miami, made with Dennis Wedin as Dennaton Games.
1.5M copies sold
Jonatan Söderström (Cactus)
Swedish co-creator and programmer of Hotline Miami, known as Cactus
Jonatan Söderström (Cactus) at a glance
- Known for
- Hotline Miami, Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number and Tuning
- Based in
- Sweden
- Indie since
- 2004
- Active products
- Hotline Miami, Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number and Tuning
Facts checked 2026-10-22
About Jonatan Söderström (Cactus)
Jonatan Söderström, known online as Cactus, is a Swedish game developer born in 1985. Before Hotline Miami he made more than 40 small freeware games in Game Maker and was one of that community's most influential creators. His Clean Asia! got two IGF nominations in 2008, and his puzzle game Tuning won the IGF's Nuovo Award in 2010.
With artist Dennis Wedin he formed Dennaton Games and made Hotline Miami in about nine months, reviving an abandoned top-down shooter prototype. Published by Devolver Digital in October 2012, the ultra-violent, neon-soaked game became one of the most influential indie games of the 2010s and helped popularise synthwave. It sold 1.5 million copies by May 2015. Söderström programmed it and wrote the story.
The sequel, Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number, followed in 2015. Since then Söderström has shared occasional teasers of a new project but, as of 2026, has not announced a release.
Products by Jonatan Söderström (Cactus)
Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number
store.steampowered.com
Sequel with multiple playable characters and a sprawling story.
Tuning
en.wikipedia.org
Surreal freeware puzzle game that won the 2010 IGF Nuovo Award.
Timeline
- 2008 — Clean Asia! nominated for two IGF awards.
- 2009 — Gave the GDC talk 'The Four-Hour Game Design'.
- 2010 — Won the IGF Nuovo Award for Tuning.
- 2012 — Released Hotline Miami with Dennis Wedin.
- 2015 — Released Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number.
How Jonatan builds
- Make lots of tiny games fast.
- Revisit abandoned prototypes for hidden potential.
- Use music and mood as core design tools.
Jonatan Söderström (Cactus) FAQ
Who is Jonatan Söderström (Cactus)?
Jonatan Söderström, known online as Cactus, is a Swedish game developer born in 1985. Before Hotline Miami he made more than 40 small freeware games in Game Maker and was one of that community's most influential creators.
Who made Hotline Miami?
Hotline Miami was made by Dennaton Games, the Swedish duo of Jonatan Söderström (programming, story) and Dennis Wedin (art), and published by Devolver Digital in 2012.
How many copies did Hotline Miami sell?
Hotline Miami sold 1.5 million copies by May 2015.
Where is Jonatan Söderström from?
Jonatan Söderström is from Sweden; he was born in 1985.
What is Cactus doing now?
As of 2026 he has teased a new game on social media but has not announced a title or release date.
Will there be a Hotline Miami 3?
Dennaton has not announced a Hotline Miami 3; Hotline Miami 2 (2015) was presented as the end of the series.
How long has Jonatan Söderström (Cactus) been an indie maker?
Jonatan Söderström (Cactus) has been building independently since 2004, about 22 years.
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