The wait for GTA 6 is long and even anxious at times, but at least there’s a definitive countdown that will tick zero on November 19, 2026. The months between now and then can get pretty boring, especially if your preferred style of game is a chaotic open-world sandbox complemented by an engaging narrative. This is a lane that Rockstar has made its own, but there are still some notable contemporaries worth trying out. On that note, here are the 15 best games like GTA to play while you’re waiting for GTA 6.
15 Best Games Like GTA
To hold you over until the release of GTA 6, here are the 15 best games like GTA to check out right now:
Game Genre Platforms Price Best For Cyberpunk 2077 Open-world action RPG PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, PC $59.99 Best for Narrative and Character Creation Sleeping Dogs Open-world action adventure PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC $19.99 Best for Combat Red Dead Redemption 2 Open-world action adventure PS4, Xbox One, PC $59.99 Best for Immersion, Visuals, and Storytelling Bully Open-world action adventure PS4, PS3, PS2, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii, iOS, Android, PC $14.99 Best for Humor and Unique Setting Watch Dogs 2 Open-world action adventure PS4, Xbox One, PC $49.99 Best for Emergent Gameplay and Narrative Satire Saints Row: The Third Remastered Open-world action adventure, Empire building PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC $29.99 Best for Zany and Outlandish Themes Mafia: Definitive Edition Third-person action adventure PS4, Xbox One, PC $39.99 Best for Cinematic Storytelling Just Cause 3 Third-person action adventure sandbox PS4, Xbox One, PC $19.99 Best for Creative Traversal and Combat Mechanics Far Cry 3 First-person open world action adventure PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC $19.99 Best for Subversive Narrative Mafia: The Old Country Third-person action adventure PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC $49.99 Best for Linear Narrative and Pacing Yakuza O Action adventure beat em’ up PS4, PS3, Xbox One, PC $49.99 Best for Content Volume and Variety LA Noire Third-person action adventure PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, PC $19.99 Best for Authenticity and Methodical Puzzles Payday 2 Co-op first person shooter PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC $9.99 Best for Cooperative Gameplay and Replayability Watch Dogs Open world action adventure PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC $19.99 Best for Atmosphere Mad Max Open world action adventure PS4, Xbox One, PC $19.99 Best for Vehicular Combat
Cyberpunk 2077
- Release Date: December 10, 2020
- Developer(s): CD Projekt Red
- Genre: Open-world action RPG
Cyberpunk 2077 is a pretty obvious pick when it comes to the best games like GTA. If you put aside the branching narrative and other RPG hallmarks, CD Projekt Red’s open-world masterpiece plays like GTA in the far future. In fact, that’s what many fans expected when they first ventured into Night City, but frankly, Cyberpunk 2077 is so much more than a GTA clone.
It features one of the most compelling and eye-catching video game settings in the neon-drenched metropolis known as Night City. Its cast of characters is so well-designed and sharply written that every bit of dialogue can leave a lasting impression on your memory. And lastly, the combat is so visceral and varied that you’ll fire up new playthroughs just to try out a Nanowire build or find out why everyone’s obsessed with the Sandevistan. When paired with Phantom Liberty, Cyberpunk 2077 is nothing less than an essential experience for every gamer.
Sleeping Dogs
- Release Date: August 14, 2012
- Developer(s): United Front Games
- Platforms: PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC
Sleeping Dogs is often the first game people recommend when looking for something to scratch the GTA itch. It follows an undercover cop named Wei Shen as he infiltrates the Triad by way of roundhouse kicks and crunchy arm breakers. He also dabbles in zany distractions from time to time, cockfights and karaoke nights being two excellent examples, and if that tonal shift doesn’t encapsulate the spirit of a Grand Theft Auto game, then what does?
Its personality-rich Hong Kong setting is a huge part of the appeal as well, filled with crowded night markets, narrow alleys, and a dense atmosphere that feels like a classic John Woo movie. Instead of just trading paint in car chases, you’re jumping between moving vehicles or using the environment to take down enemies in brutal, jaw-dropping ways. Sleeping Dogs won’t wow you with its narrative, but I cannot overstate just how fun it is to play.
It really is a shame that we’ll likely never get an official sequel, but at least the Sleeping Dogs movie looks promising.
Red Dead Redemption 2
- Release Date: October 26, 2018
- Developer(s): Rockstar Games
- Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Red Dead Redemption 2 is the most organic recommendation if you’re looking for games like GTA, mostly because it shares the same Rockstar DNA. It’s essentially a 19th-century outlaw epic built on a massive, living map where you can ignore the main story for days just to go fishing or hunt legendary animals.
While it shares the criminal-on-the-run themes of its modern cousins, the game is a masterclass in slow-burn immersion. Arthur Morgan’s journey through the dying days of the Wild West provides a somber, mature tone that the more satirical GTA often avoids. The stakes feel real and poignant at all times, especially when the narrative is interwoven with actual struggles like the forced displacement of Native Indians. These narrative beats are handled with so much care and authenticity that for many players, Red Dead Redemption 2 represents a zenith of the western genre as a whole, as opposed to just a damn fine video game.
Bully
- Release Date: October 17, 2006
- Developer(s): Rockstar Games
- Platforms: PS4, PS3, PS2, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii, iOS, Android, PC
Bully is a game that could never be made again. If you consider modern sensibilities, its core concept would never edge past the initial pitch, and securing funding for such an off-kilter title would be a Herculean challenge in and of itself. The game literally featured a menacing high-schooler who could go around harassing students, doling out wedgies to adults, and raiding girls’ hostels in search of their delicates.
No game has featured such a broad stroke of objectionable ideas since Bully’s release, and trust me when I tell you that no major publisher will ever tread within a mile of such mechanics again – not even Rockstar. This idiosyncrasy is reason enough to play Bully if you’ve never tried it. But if you’re looking for a GTA-specific analogy, imagine a Grand Theft Auto game except with a smaller open world, ill-tempered teenagers, Spud Guns instead of Firearms, and Halloween hijinks in place of high-stakes heists. There’s your elevator pitch.
Watch Dogs 2
- Release Date: November 15, 2016
- Developer(s): Ubisoft
- Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Watch Dogs 2 trades the self-serious revenge plot of the original for a sun-drenched, vibrant recreation of the San Francisco Bay Area that feels genuinely alive. Instead of a lone wolf, you’re part of a quirky collective of hacktivists using smartphones and drones to take down “the man,” and the shift in tone makes exploring the city feel like a summer vacation.
The game shines because it prioritizes creative problem-solving over simple gunplay. You can complete entire missions without ever setting foot in a restricted area by remote-controlling spiderbots through air vents or hacking traffic lights to cause a vehicular pileup. It’s essentially a GTA-style sandbox where the environment is your primary weapon, allowing you to forge police records to have rival gang members arrested or blackout entire city blocks just to make a clean getaway. For anyone who loves the systemic chaos of a Rockstar title but wants a more playful, gadget-filled playground, Watch Dogs 2 is a top-tier choice.
Saints Row: The Third Remastered
- Release Date: May 22, 2020
- Developer(s): Volition, Spearsoft
- Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC
Saints Row: The Third Remastered is, as the name suggests, a remastered version of the 2011 classic. If you ignore how shiny certain surfaces are, the core game is the same as you remember it, which is precisely what this modern re-release needed to be. This romp through Steelport embraces pure, unadulterated absurdity, where you’ll be fighting Tron-style avatars in a VR projection one second before tackling a city-wide zombie outbreak the next.
At times, it genuinely feels like Volition stapled a bunch of zany ideas to a wheel and let fortune do the rest. The game is stuffed with unforgettable missions, as well as GTA-style hallmarks including vehicle customization, empire building, a police system, and more. It’s also pretty brief on the runtime front, so there really is no excuse not to check out Saints Row: The Third for yourself.
Mafia: Definitive Edition
- Release Date: September 25, 2020
- Developer(s): Hangar 13
- Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Mafia: Definitive Edition is basically a Martin Scorsese flick carried over into the realm of video games. You play as Tommy Angelo, a hardworking cab driver who gets thrust into the world of organized crime after a chance encounter with the Salieri family. Events transpire, things go sideways, and Tommy’s in the middle of it all, trying his best not to sleep with the fishes. The narrative is gripping from the get-go, and the brisk pacing complements it perfectly, making for an engaging mob story.
The gameplay isn’t a one-for-one match when compared to GTA, but you can still think of it as a dozen linear missions stitched together without any open-world distractions in between. Mafia: Definitive Edition is simple and even archaic in composition, but masterful and slick in execution.
Just Cause 3
- Release Date: December 1, 2015
- Developer(s): Avalanche Studios
- Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Next up on this games like GTA 6 list is the ultimate playground for wanton destruction – Just Cause 3. The 2015 release transports you to a serene Italy-inspired countryside and hands you all the firepower in the world to disturb the peace. Before you know it, you’ll be chaining the grappling hook with the wingsuit for standard traversal and attaching a red barrel to every NPC in sight.
If that sounds a bit extreme, it’s because that is the core appeal of the game. JC3’s story is an absolute nothing burger, while its open-world design crumbles upon closer inspection. You’re only here to create the biggest explosions possible and figure out the number of parachutes required to turn cars into hot air balloons. Why? Just cause, man.
Far Cry 3
- Release Date: December 4, 2012
- Developer(s): Ubisoft
- Platforms: PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC
By jumping into Far Cry 3, you’ll be trading GTA’s urban jungles for a literal jungle – rife with primal dangers and a nutcase of an antagonist. The game can be credited with establishing Ubisoft’s patented loop of climbing towers to reveal the map and systematically dismantling enemy outposts to reclaim territory. And for what it’s worth, that format feels more inspired in this PS3 game as compared to newer releases like Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
Nevertheless, you’ll play as Jason Brody, a pampered tourist who is forced to become a ruthless survivor after a vacation goes horribly wrong. Watching his psychological descent into violence is one of the most compelling arcs in the genre, and the way players are tricked into rooting for this barbaric transition renders the same effect as Spec Ops: The Line. Rounding out the package is satisfying combat and decent exploration, and you’ve got yourself a 15-hour experience where every minute is worth your time.
Mafia: The Old Country
- Release Date: August 7, 2025
- Developer(s): Hangar 13
- Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Mafia: The Old Country takes the franchise right back to its roots, as evidenced by the 1960’s Sicilian setting. It follows Enzo Favara as he rises from a life of indentured labor in sulfur mines to become a made man in the Torrisi crime family. If you’re a fan of the criminal power fantasies in GTA, this is the origin story of that entire lifestyle, built with a heavy focus on the “Cosa Nostra” code of honor and the high cost of loyalty.
There is technically an open world here that you can explore in the Free Ride mode, but it offers little worth seeing. The same can be said for the skeletal combat system, which feels far too basic for a third-person action game in 2025. The primary draw of The Old Country is the rich narrative, delivered through exquisite cutscenes that are honestly worth the cost of admission on their own.
Yakuza 0
- Release Date: March 12, 2015
- Developer(s): Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
- Platforms: PS4, PS3, Xbox One, PC
You might be surprised to see Yakuza 0 on a list featuring games like GTA, but hear me out for a second. Yes, its events are set around narrow alleyways instead of sprawling open worlds, and yes, you will never wield a firearm for the length of the game, but the Grand Theft Auto comparisons are rooted in the title’s tone.
The game is a masterclass in tonal whiplash, which is exactly why it might resonate with fans of Rockstar’s satirical edge. One moment you are engaged in a soul-crushing, melodramatic crime saga, and the next you are managing a cabaret club, and winning chickens in bowling alleys. Yakuza 0 oscillates between zany and self-serious at a breakneck pace with the finesse typically found in Rockstar’s crime simulators.
It’s not the most accessible game in the world; there’s no cutting edge about it, and the visuals are also pretty drab at this point. But man, does Yakuza 0 have charm. There’s a reason why it ranks high on the list of best Yakuza games, and the only way to find out is by trying it for yourself.
L.A. Noire
- Release Date: May 17, 2011
- Developer(s): Rockstar Games
- Platforms: PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, PC
L.A. Noire is famously built around its groundbreaking MotionScan technology, which captured every nuance of an actor’s facial expressions. Every twitch, every quiver, every hint of exasperation is rendered with great precision, which is essential to the anchor of this slow-burning and methodical police story. If you’ve ever wondered how it would feel to play as the other side of GTA’s law system, L.A. Noire is as close as we’ll ever get.
Payday 2
- Release Date: August 13, 2013
- Developer(s): Overkill Software, 505 Games
- Platforms: PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC
If you’re looking for games like GTA 5, or more specifically, its heisting elements, then it doesn’t get much better than Payday 2. While it lacks a traditional open world to explore, it doubles down on the adrenaline of the “loud” approach or the tension of a perfect stealth run. You and three other players are tasked with hitting everything from local jewelry stores to high-security private banks, and success depends entirely on how well your crew can manage civilian crowds, drill through vaults, and hold off waves of increasingly aggressive authorities.
The game’s build variety and RPG-style progression lend it a great deal of replayability, which is part of the reason why Payday 2 is significantly more popular than its direct sequel. So, if you’re looking for a cooperative power fantasy that rewards tactical planning and quick reflexes, then I can wholeheartedly recommend Payday 2.
Watch Dogs
- Release Date: May 27, 2014
- Developer(s): Ubisoft
- Platforms: PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC
The original Watch Dog promised to be the “GTA killer,” but we all know that never came to fruition. For all of its failures, the game still deserves credit for its moody (and windy) recreation of Chicago, coupled with a hooded protagonist that had a genuine air of mystery about him. In retrospect, the main story actually holds up quite well, and there’s still plenty to enjoy about the gameplay too.
If you’re tired of Los Santos and need a change of scenery, Watch Dogs is certainly worth your time. You can also convince yourself that a playthrough is needed to prepare for the upcoming Watch Dogs movie.
Mad Max
- Release Date: September 1, 2015
- Developer(s): Avalanche Studios
- Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Rounding out our selection of the best games like GTA is the highly underappreciated Mad Max. The game drops you into a vast, post-apocalyptic desert, plucked straight out of the Mad Max movies, where your car is your primary means of survival. You spend your time scavenging for scrap to turn a rusted shell of a vehicle into a lethal, armored war machine. In the process, you’ll engage in a satisfying progression loop, complete with a Ubisoft-like open world that’s packed with checklist objectives.
So, if your favorite element of GTA is riding around in vehicles and ramming into other cars, then you will almost certainly enjoy Mad Max.
And that wraps up our list of the best games like GTA. Do you agree with our picks? Let us know in the comments below.
The best games like GTA include Cyberpunk 2077, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Sleeping Dogs.
No, GTA 6 isn’t out yet. The game will be released on November 19, 2026.
PS5 games such as Cyberpunk 2077 and Mafia: The Old Country are like GTA.
Yes, there are some free games like GTA, including Gangster Vegas and Grand Criminal Online. However, most free-to-play GTA clones are mobile games.
