Grand Theft Auto gives you a whole city and lets you decide what to do with it. You can follow the story, a crime saga full of betrayals and loud characters, or ignore it for an hour and work through side jobs like taxi fares and ambulance runs. You can take any car off the street, turn on the radio and drive until a DJ makes you laugh. When you get bored, you can start trouble and see how many police cars it takes to stop you.
No other series does all of that at once, but plenty of games do part of it very well. These are the 25 games players recommend most to GTA fans, ranked by how many different people named each one.
25 Games Like Grand Theft Auto Where You Are Free to Do Anything
Driver: Parallel Lines (2006)
Parallel Lines brings the Driver series back to what it did best. After the on-foot sections of Driv3r went down badly, this one goes back to driving, though shooting remains. Like Grand Theft Auto, it has fictional cars based on real ones, and its New York has side jobs such as cab driving and car towing. The story covers two eras of the city, and critics liked its 1970s soundtrack most of all.
The big difference is focus. You spend nearly all your time behind the wheel, in a smaller, condensed version of New York. Players who love the getaways in GTA back it as one of the best GTA-style games on the PS2. Play it on PS2, or on Wii, where the wanted meter turns into GTA-style stars.
Shakedown: Hawaii (2019)
Shakedown: Hawaii plays like the first two Grand Theft Autos, seen from above. It comes from the maker of Retro City Rampage and, like that game, it is a parody: a parody of 1980s pop culture and of Grand Theft Auto itself. You steal cars and cause trouble across a sunny island, and one review praised its "relaxed emphasis on doing whatever you want".
The difference is the target of the jokes. Shakedown also goes after manipulative business practices, so the crime comes with a lot of corporate greed. Players describe it as an old-school 2D GTA in the style of a SNES game. It came out on PS4, Vita and 3DS, and in 2020 it was the last official game released for the Wii, Wii U and PS3.
Retro City Rampage (2012)
Retro City Rampage is Grand Theft Auto as an 8-bit game. You take missions in an enormous city that is open to explore, hijack vehicles and draw the police with violence. There is even a Free Roaming Mode, made for exploring the city and causing as much chaos as you can.
The big difference is how much of it is a joke. The game parodies retro games and 1980s and 1990s pop culture, so the city is full of references to things you grew up with, and you can switch between 16 graphical filters that copy old computers and consoles. It came out on PS3 and Vita in 2012, and an enhanced DX version followed on the 3DS. There is a Wii version too.
Saints Row IV (2013)
Saints Row IV takes the Saints Row formula about as far as it goes. Your player-created character from the earlier games is now President of the United States, and the open world is a simulation of the city of Steelport, which you explore while doing main and side missions at your own pace. One side mission, Insurance Fraud, has you jump into traffic to collect insurance money.
The difference from GTA is superpowers, right down to superpowered foot races. Critics praised the humor and the character creator but said it lacked challenge. Players who suggest it to GTA fans say it is ridiculous and fun, best in co-op. Play it on PS3 or PS4.
Jak II (2003)
Jak II is what happened when a platformer studio looked at Grand Theft Auto III. Naughty Dog saw that players wanted the complex stories and open-world freedom of sandbox games like GTA III, so it dropped Jak into Haven City, a dystopia ruled by Baron Praxis. You take non-linear missions, carry a gun and get around by hoverboard or hovercar.
The big difference is that it is still a Jak game, with platforming and combat between the city runs. Fans of the first game are split on the change: some loved the GTA-style city with its driving and flying, others wanted the platforming back. Play it on PS2. A remaster came out in the Jak and Daxter Collection.
Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction (2005)
Mercenaries drops you into a vast sandbox where you can pick up missions or hijack a vehicle and see what happens. Different factions hand out jobs, and a job for one side can upset another. Critics liked it most for its explosive mayhem.
The big difference is the setting. Players describe it as GTA in a war zone, set in North Korea in the middle of a military conflict. You fight armies there, and you can call in airstrikes. Play it on PS2. The sequel, Mercenaries 2: World in Flames, came out on PS2 and PS3.
Mafia III (2016)
Mafia III gives you a crime story and a city to take over. It is set in New Bordeaux, a re-imagined New Orleans, in 1968, and follows Vietnam veteran Lincoln Clay after the Mafia murders his adoptive family. The map is larger than the Mafia and Mafia II maps combined, and critics praised its story and soundtrack. Many also liked the combat and driving.
The big difference is the goal. You slowly build a criminal empire and seize power from the other crime groups in the city. It got a mixed reception at release, but no other game on this list puts you in 1968 New Orleans. Play it on PS4.
Saints Row 2 (2008)
Saints Row 2 has the GTA loop with a much louder sense of humor. You roam the city of Stilwater, earn Respect from minigames and side missions, and spend it to unlock story missions. A friend can join you online to explore the city and play missions together.
The developers chose a more comedic tone to set it apart from the Grand Theft Auto series, which most reviewers had compared the first game to. Among fans it is the favorite of the series. Play it on PS3.
Just Cause 3 (2015)
Just Cause 3 is for the part of you that liked causing trouble in GTA more than finishing missions. Rico Rodriguez returns to his homeland of Medici, an island country under the control of a dictator, and the whole island is yours to explore. Critics praised the destruction and how much it leaves up to the player.
The big difference is the setting and the goal. There is no city crime story here. You are fighting General Di Ravello's regime across a Mediterranean island inspired by Monaco, and most of the fun is in how big a mess you can make doing it. Play it on PS4.
The Saboteur (2009)
The Saboteur takes the GTA formula to Paris under Nazi occupation. The open world covers the city's boroughs and the countryside around them, and you drive and fight your way through it. Areas the Nazis control heavily are in black and white, and as you finish main and side missions, each borough is liberated and its color comes back.
The difference is the war setting, which also brought comparisons to Assassin's Creed. Critics liked how much there is to do, but many found it repetitive and unpolished. Play it on PS3.
inFamous (2009)
inFamous puts you in Empire City after an explosion wrecks several city blocks and gives bike messenger Cole MacGrath electric superpowers. The city falls into chaos, and you climb and zap your way across it, taking missions that bring back some order. Critics praised Cole's powers and climbing.
The big difference is the Karma system. The game keeps giving you chances to use your powers for good or evil, and your choices change how people in the city react to you and parts of the story. Play it on PS3.
Driver (1999)
Driver let you explore whole cities before Grand Theft Auto went 3D. You play Tanner, an undercover cop who becomes a getaway driver for gangsters, in Miami, San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York. Being able to explore each city as an open world was a big deal when it came out, and it has often been compared to GTA. As one player put it, "Driver was like 3D GTA a full console generation early."
The big difference is that you never leave the car. The on-foot sections only came later in the series, so the first game is all chases and escapes. Play it on PS1.
Lego City Undercover (2013)
Lego City Undercover is an open world crime game made of bricks. You play police officer Chase McCain, who comes back to Lego City to catch escaped crime boss Rex Fury, and you explore an open world hub between self-contained levels with puzzles and combat. The Lego City hub was based on multiple real locations.
The game started with Nintendo, which approached TT Games about making it, and it came out on Wii U first. The big difference is that it is a Lego game, so the trouble you cause is cartoon trouble. Players call it a GTA clone made of Lego and say it is great and overlooked. Play it on Wii U, or the later version on PS4.
Driv3r (2004)
Driv3r is the Driver game that tried hardest to be GTA. It added on-foot sections, gun combat and drive-by shooting to the series, with free roaming in Miami, Nice and Istanbul. You play undercover FBI agent John Tanner, chasing a car-smuggling ring across three countries.
The big difference is how rough it is. Critics liked the driving, but the on-foot controls and the awkward shooting held it back, and some accused Atari of rushing it out to avoid competing with Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. It was a commercial success anyway. Play it on PS2.
The Getaway (2002)
The Getaway is a London crime story inspired by British gangster films such as Get Carter and Snatch. Recreating large areas of London in detail took so long that it missed the PS2 launch by over two years. You control two lead characters and carry out their missions across the city, and once Mark Hammond's missions are done you can roam London freely.
The big difference is that it wants to feel like a film. There is no HUD and no map: when you drive, your car's indicators and hazard lights blink to show the way. Players love the story but warn that it is hard and the driving is tough. Play it on PS2.
Bully (2006)
Bully is Rockstar's own spin on its open world formula, set in the New England town of Bullworth. You play Jimmy Hopkins, a troublemaker sent to Bullworth Academy, and you get around on foot, by skateboard, scooter, bicycle or go-kart. Between story missions you attend classes and try to get popular with the school's cliques.
The big difference is the size of the stakes. It is a school story, so your rivals are nerds and preppies instead of gangs. Players call it the high school version of GTA. Play it on PS2 or PS4, or the Scholarship Edition on Wii.
Watch Dogs 2 (2016)
Watch Dogs 2 moves the series to the San Francisco Bay Area. You play Marcus Holloway, a hacker in the group DedSec, and you explore the open world on foot or by car while taking down the city's surveillance system. Missions can be done in several ways, and each one you finish gains DedSec more followers.
The difference from GTA is that you hack the world around you to get through missions. Critics found it better than the first game, including the hacking and the driving, and players call it a lot of fun. Play it on PS4.
True Crime: Streets of LA (2003)
True Crime: Streets of LA was one of the first open world games after Grand Theft Auto III that was not a GTA game, and plenty of people called it a GTA clone. As in GTA, you travel across the city freely and take any car you want. It sold over 3,000,000 copies.
The big difference is which side of the law you are on. You play Nicholas Kang, an LAPD detective investigating a series of bombings in Chinatown, with car chases and shootouts along the way. Play it on PS2 or GameCube. The sequel, True Crime: New York City, followed in 2005.
The Simpsons: Hit & Run (2003)
Hit & Run is GTA with the violence swapped for Simpsons jokes. It was heavily inspired by the Grand Theft Auto series, and the team reused its open world design for Springfield. You race enemies and do timed jobs for characters from the show. The show's writers and cast helped with the story and dialogue.
The big difference is the tone: the plot is about aliens and a new Buzz Cola that causes insanity. It is often called the best Simpsons game, and it sold over 3 million copies. Players call it one of the best GTA clones. Play it on PS2 or GameCube.
The Godfather (2006)
The Godfather was planned from the start as an open world game in the vein of the Grand Theft Auto games. You work your way up the Corleone family from Outsider toward Don, and EA got the rights to Nino Rota's score from the film.
The big difference is extortion. You extort businesses to earn the respect and money you need to level up, and the story missions are the only way up the family's ranks. Even then, finishing every story mission only takes you to Underboss. It got generally positive reviews, and players often suggest it to GTA fans. Play it on PS2, or the Blackhand Edition on Wii.
Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018)
Red Dead Redemption 2 is a Rockstar game, the studio's first built for the PS4 generation after it tested those consoles by porting Grand Theft Auto V. It is a prequel to Red Dead Redemption, and you can freely roam its open world in first or third person. It made US$725 million in its opening weekend, and critics praised its story and characters.
The big difference is how slow and real it feels. Rockstar wanted you to feel like you live in its world instead of playing missions and watching cutscenes, and some critics said it puts realism ahead of player freedom. Play it on PS4.
Red Dead Redemption (2010)
Red Dead Redemption was developed by Rockstar San Diego and published by Rockstar Games, and it feels like it. You play John Marston, a former outlaw whose wife and son are held by the government until he brings three members of his old gang to justice. You roam a fictional Western United States and Northern Mexico, mostly on horseback, and between story missions there are duels and bounty hunting.
The difference is the horse and the century. Players describe it as GTA in the Wild West, with horses. It came out on PS3 in 2010 and on PS4 in 2023.
Watch Dogs (2014)
Watch Dogs is set in a fictional Chicago. You play hacker Aiden Pearce on a quest for revenge after his niece is killed, and you get around on foot or by car. The developers visited Chicago for research and used local language to make it feel real. It broke the record for the biggest first-day sales of a Ubisoft game.
The big difference is hacking. In this Chicago, one computer network, ctOS, connects every device, and you can turn it against everyone. Players sum it up as GTA with hacking. Play it on PS3, PS4 or Wii U.
Scarface: The World Is Yours (2006)
Scarface: The World Is Yours lets you build Tony Montana's empire again. Many critics compared it favorably to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and San Andreas, and praised how well it keeps the tone of the film. You buy businesses as fronts after doing a job for each owner, and those jobs plus the story missions are the core of the game.
The big difference is how much of it is business. Your Reputation has eight levels, one for each letter in the word "Scarface", and the cocaine comes through side missions for a contact named Felix. Al Pacino lent his likeness but not his voice: he and the producers felt it had changed too much since the film came out in 1983. Players say GTA fans will love it. Play it on PS2, or the enhanced 2007 version on Wii.
Sleeping Dogs (2012)
Sleeping Dogs sets its open world in Hong Kong. You play Wei Shen, a Hong Kong-American police officer who goes undercover inside the Sun On Yee Triad, and outside the main story you can roam the city and get up to legal and criminal activities. Civilian side missions earn Face XP, which unlocks clothes and vehicles. Critics praised the combat and the way it shows the city.
The big difference is the fighting. Unlike most open world games of its kind, it puts melee combat ahead of gunplay. Players recommend it to GTA fans more than any other game and tell each other not to skip it. Play it on PS3, or the Definitive Edition on PS4.
Which one to play
There you have it, the whole list of games like Grand Theft Auto. None of them does everything GTA does, and several do one part of it better.
If you loved the driving, start with the first Driver or Driver: Parallel Lines. If the story kept you playing, go for Red Dead Redemption or Sleeping Dogs. For the chaos, play Just Cause 3 or Saints Row IV. If you want the freedom to roam a world and pick your own jobs, try Watch Dogs 2 or Mercenaries. And for a younger player who wants GTA, Lego City Undercover and The Simpsons: Hit & Run are made for that.
