GTA 6 Alternatives: 7 Games Worth Playing While You Wait

If you’re waiting for Grand Theft Auto VI, these seven games offer strong alternatives in the meantime: Red Dead Redemption 2, Grand Theft Auto V, Cyberpunk 2077, Watch Dogs 2, Sleeping Dogs, Mafia: Definitive Edition, and Saints Row: The Third Remastered. They do not all reproduce GTA’s mix of crime, driving, and open-world freedom, but each delivers a different part of that appeal.

What makes a good GTA 6 alternative?

There is no confirmed substitute for a game that has not yet been released. The best choice depends on what you want from GTA: a sprawling world, a memorable crime story, varied missions, vehicle-based exploration, or playful sandbox chaos. Some picks below are serious dramas; others lean into comedy or futuristic action.

It also helps to distinguish an open world from a GTA-style open world. A large map alone does not guarantee the same freedom or mission structure. These games make the list because they offer meaningful overlap in setting, storytelling, exploration, or action—not because they are identical.

1. Red Dead Redemption 2: Rockstar’s slower crime epic

For a richly detailed world and a character-led story, Red Dead Redemption 2 is the natural first recommendation. Rockstar sets it in the American West in 1899, where outlaw Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang face a changing frontier. Its setting replaces modern cars and city streets with horses, small towns, wilderness, and period firearms.

The game shares GTA’s interest in criminal lives and carefully staged missions, but its rhythm is more deliberate. Travel, camp life, and exploration are central, and the story is less focused on contemporary urban satire. Choose it if atmosphere and narrative matter more to you than fast driving or a modern city.

2. Grand Theft Auto V: The closest existing match

If you have not played it, Grand Theft Auto V remains the most direct way to revisit Rockstar’s contemporary crime sandbox. Its story follows three playable protagonists—Michael, Franklin, and Trevor—in and around Los Santos, a fictional Southern California city. Switching between characters gives missions and the wider story a structure distinct from a single-hero adventure.

The single-player campaign and GTA Online are separate ways to play. Online adds multiplayer activities and has continued to receive updates, but its current content and availability can vary by platform. If you mainly want the city exploration, driving, and crime-story formula, start with the campaign rather than assuming online play is required.

3. Cyberpunk 2077: A dense city and a role-playing story

Cyberpunk 2077 trades a present-day criminal sandbox for a futuristic role-playing game set in Night City. You play V, a mercenary whose choices and character build shape how missions can unfold. The city is built for exploration, while combat, dialogue, and character progression give it a different focus from GTA.

It is a good pick if the most appealing part of GTA is getting lost in a dense urban environment and encountering stories along the way. It is not a like-for-like driving game: vehicles are present, but role-playing choices and combat are more central. Check the store listing for your platform before buying, since editions, expansions, and feature availability differ.

4. Watch Dogs 2: Modern San Francisco and hacking

Watch Dogs 2 offers a contemporary open-world city, this time a fictionalized San Francisco Bay Area. Its protagonist, Marcus Holloway, works with the hacker group DedSec. Hacking devices, vehicles, and systems is a defining mechanic, so missions can reward stealth and clever use of the environment as well as direct action.

That emphasis gives it a distinct identity rather than making it a GTA clone. It suits players who want urban exploration and mission variety, but would rather approach problems with gadgets and hacking. Its tone is lighter and more tech-focused than the grounded crime drama of some other choices here.

5. Sleeping Dogs: Hong Kong crime drama

In Sleeping Dogs, undercover police officer Wei Shen infiltrates a Hong Kong triad. The story, martial-arts combat, and street-level setting make it a strong choice for players who want a focused crime narrative in an open city. Driving and exploration are part of the experience, but close-quarters fighting is one of its clearest differences from GTA.

The original game and its Definitive Edition are not the same listing, so check which version is available for your platform. As with older releases generally, platform availability and compatibility can change; verify the current store page before purchasing.

6. Mafia: Definitive Edition: A tightly told gangster story

Mafia: Definitive Edition follows taxi driver Tommy Angelo as he becomes involved with a crime family in the fictional city of Lost Heaven during the 1930s. Its period setting and linear, mission-led story make it less of a free-form sandbox than GTA. The appeal is the gangster narrative and carefully recreated historical atmosphere.

Pick it if you want a shorter, more directed story rather than a huge world full of optional activities. Its cars and streets reflect the era, so expect a very different pace from a modern city game. It is a useful reminder that a crime-game alternative does not need to copy GTA’s scale to be worthwhile.

7. Saints Row: The Third Remastered: Outrageous sandbox comedy

Saints Row: The Third Remastered is the most deliberately over-the-top option here. The Third Street Saints are famous, wealthy, and caught up in conflict with rival gangs in the city of Steelport. Missions and customization lean into spectacle and comedy instead of GTA’s more grounded approach to crime and satire.

Choose it when you want exaggerated action, cooperative play options, and a less serious tone. The remastered release updates the presentation of the original game, but it remains a distinct installment rather than a new sequel. Check platform listings for the exact edition and whether its multiplayer features suit your plans.

How to choose your next game

• For Rockstar storytelling: start with Red Dead Redemption 2 for a period drama, or GTA V for a modern city and crime story.
• For a contemporary urban setting: try Cyberpunk 2077 for role-playing or Watch Dogs 2 for hacking and stealth.
• For crime stories with a different focus: choose Sleeping Dogs for martial arts or Mafia: Definitive Edition for a directed historical drama.
• For comedy and chaos: pick Saints Row: The Third Remastered.

Before buying, check your platform’s store page for compatibility, included content, and edition details. These are established releases, but not every game is available on every device, and an edition’s included expansions or online features can differ.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which game is most like GTA 6?
There is no reliable way to compare a finished alternative with a game that players cannot yet assess. Of these picks, GTA V is the closest existing match to GTA’s modern city, crime, and driving formula.

Is Red Dead Redemption 2 like GTA?
It shares Rockstar’s open-world design and crime-story themes, but it is set in the Old West and moves at a slower pace. It has horses rather than modern traffic and places greater emphasis on its period setting and characters.

Can I play GTA Online without playing GTA V’s story?
GTA Online is distinct from the single-player campaign, but access and packaging depend on the platform and current edition. Check the store listing for the version you intend to use.

Which GTA alternative has the best story?
That is subjective. Red Dead Redemption 2 is a strong choice for a long character-focused drama; Mafia: Definitive Edition offers a more compact, mission-led gangster story.

Are these games available on every platform?
No. Availability and compatibility vary by game, platform, and edition. Confirm the current product page for your console or computer before purchasing.

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