The best games like GTA let you run around open-world sandboxes as you please. You can cause havoc, get into fights, experience an in-depth story, or just be a complete menace as you see fit. While there aren’t really any games that match the versatility of Grand Theft Auto Online, games that are like GTA can match or even exceed the freedom offered by the single-player experience.
In fact, if you’re really lucky, maybe there’s even a game in here that’ll let you run around as a crime lord in co-op too. We’ve decided it’s about time we put together a list of the best games like Grand Theft Auto that you can play right now, probably while waiting for what seems like impossible information about Grand Theft Auto 6. We’d all like to believe it’s going to be shadow-dropped any day now, but realistically, we’ve got to bridge that gap somehow.
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+ 71. Sleeping Dogs
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If you’ve ever wondered what a GTA game would be like if it had way better combat, then Sleeping Dogs is here for you. It tells the story of Wei Shen, an undercover cop who’s been tasked with taking down the Triads from the inside. The thing is, if you want to blend in with the Triads, you’ve got to commit to the bit.
The result is a game where you get into street races, underground martial arts brawls, shootouts, and everything else the game throws at you. There’s a lot to do outside of the main quest line, and the playground it offers players is a constant delight to both behold and be immersed in.
click to enlarge + 72. LEGO City Undercover
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We’re pretty sure it doesn’t need saying, but don’t let kids play GTA. Instead, if you want them to enjoy the open-world experience of a game that’s intended for them, get them on LEGO City Undercover. Also, you can still 100% find fun in it as an adult too.
Rather than being about doing crimes, LEGO City Undercover puts you in the blocky shoes of Chase McCain, a police officer who has to go undercover to hunt down Rex Fury. Look, it’s very silly, it’s full to the brim with that signature LEGO game charm, and it can be played in co-op too, making it an excellent game for families and friends alike.
click to enlarge + 73. Mafia Trilogy
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The Mafia Trilogy includes not one, but three games that are like Grand Theft Auto. Each one tells a different story, but in each one, you play as someone trying to find their feet who ends up in the mob. You’ll make the most of it though, so don’t be surprised when you end up basically running the whole thing.
Our favourite of the three is the final one. Lincoln Clay’s story is a lot more nuanced and interesting than in the first two games, and the way it plays out is gripping from start to finish. Clay is a Vietnam veteran, and you get a lot of interesting history lessons as the game plays out, making it a good one for sneaky learning, but only for older gamers.
click to enlarge + 74. Saints Row 4
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Saints Row started off as a Grand Theft Auto clone in a very unsubtle way. However, where GTA went down the path of grit, suffering, and everyone being kind of the worst, Saints Row just got increasingly silly. The peak of this was Saints Row 4, where your character has not only become President of the United States, but also ends up getting abducted by aliens.
From there, you’re plonked into a simulated reality where you and your gang all get to learn and master superpowers. It’s innately silly, and never takes itself too seriously, but most importantly, you can run around its exceptionally fun sandbox in co-op. Nothing beats racing a friend across the city while tornadoes follow in your wake. Seriously, go and play it.
click to enlarge + 75. Watch Dogs 2
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While Watch Dogs Legion might be a more expansive take on the Watch Dogs series, for our money, and for yours, Watch Dogs 2 is just better. It takes the serious tone from the first game and yeets it into the sea, and you instead get to play as a plucky band of hackers trying to take down an idiot billionaire. That might feel cathartic, you know?
You control Marcus, who’s just joined DedSec, and throughout the story, you’ll find more and more reasons to fight back and take on the rich. It’s a great game with incredibly fun gameplay, and the characters in it are all very charming, which is a huge boon when you’re spending so much time with them.
click to enlarge + 76. Yakuza: Like A Dragon
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“‘What if GTA was turn-based and based on Japan’s most infamous gangsters?’ is a question that probably doesn’t parse your lips often, but since you asked so nicely, that’s basically what Yakuza: Like A Dragon is. It’s worth noting that the entire Yakuza series could fit the bill for the best games like GTA, but we’ve gone for Like A Dragon because it’s a little different.
Yakuza: Like A Dragon tells the tale of Ichiban Kasuga, an all-around badass who can’t help but view all of his fights as though they’re in Dragon Quest. The result is a gritty but deeply entertaining story about a yakuza with a heart of gold, his ragtag band of friends, and his path to redemption and truth.
click to enlarge + 77. Red Dead Redemption 2
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Ultimately, having Red Dead Redemption 2 on here is a bit like cheating because it comes from the same developer. However, it’s undoubtedly one of the best games like Grand Theft Auto with very similar DNA, just with a lot more cowboys, horses, and also the bad stuff that comes with being in a pre-modern age.
Red Dead Redemption 2 might well be one of the best stories a game has told. You play as Arthur Morgan, and have to try and survive as part of the Van der Linde gang as you roam across the wild west. It’s both a lot of fun to play, and also fairly harrowing throughout, which is nice if you’re into that.
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