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The best game to play while waiting for GTA 6 depends on which part of the series you want more of: a richly detailed world, a contemporary city, a focused crime story, or freedom to drive and explore. Rockstar currently lists Grand Theft Auto VI for November 19, 2026, on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S; treat that as the publisher’s current plan, since dates and platforms can change.
Choose by the part of GTA you want
These games share some ingredients with Grand Theft Auto, but none reproduces its exact blend of contemporary crime, driving, satire, and open-world freedom. This shortlist, informed by GamesRadar’s comparison of games like GTA, is best read as a set of different fits—not a universal ranking.
| If you want… | Try… | What’s different |
|---|---|---|
| Rockstar-style world freedom in an outlaw setting | Red Dead Redemption 2 | A historical Western world and outlaw life instead of modern cars and urban crime. |
| A present-day city, satire, and hacking | Watch Dogs 2 | Hacking is central to the game’s identity, rather than just another crime-sandbox feature. |
| Hong Kong crime drama and martial-arts action | Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition | A more focused crime experience, with melee combat and stunt action at its heart. |
| Futuristic city exploration, driving, gigs, and RPG systems | Cyberpunk 2077 | A science-fiction setting and stronger role-playing focus than GTA. |
| Urban crime drama and lots of side activities | Yakuza 0 | Smaller city districts and a distinct action-combat style rather than a huge drivable map. |
| A grounded organized-crime story | Mafia III | A narrative-led, slower-burning experience, not a broad sandbox match. |
Best for a detailed world and freedom: Red Dead Redemption 2
If what you miss most is the feeling of inhabiting a carefully realized Rockstar world, Red Dead Redemption 2 is the clearest family resemblance. Its expansive, alive-feeling world and open-ended play make it a natural pick for someone who wants to wander, encounter things, and follow an outlaw story.
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The trade-off is the setting: this is a historical Western, not a modern city crime game. You get outlaw life in place of contemporary cars, urban neighborhoods, and the modern-crime tone associated with GTA.
#1 Best Overall
- Amazing challenging missions
Best for a modern city with hacking: Watch Dogs 2
Watch Dogs 2 suits players who want a present-day urban backdrop and irreverent tech satire. Hacking gives it a distinctive way to interact with the city and is a core part of what separates it from a straightforward crime sandbox.
Pick it for the combination of city exploration, satire, and hacking—not because it is an exact substitute for GTA’s particular crime-story formula.
Rank #2
- 🔎 IMMERSIVE MURDER MYSTERY GAME NIGHT – Become a detective in this cold case style crime investigation game, designed to feel like a real police file. Perfect for Christmas!
- 🛳️ SOLVE A CELEBRITY CRUISE SHIP MURDER – Collect evidence, analyse suspects, and crack the case of the famous soprano found dead aboard the Aurelian Empress.
- 📂 REALISTIC HIGH QUALITY COLD CASE FILE & EVIDENCE PACK – Includes over 25 pieces of evidence, including autopsy reports, letters, photos, receipts, and more – plus digital access to hidden files and online clues.
- 🎭 FOR SOLO OR GROUP PLAY – Perfect as a date night game, family activity, or large group murder mystery party.
- 🎁 UNIQUE GIFT FOR MYSTERY LOVERS – Ideal for fans of detective games, escape rooms, and true crime – unforgettable gift for birthdays, Christmas, or holidays.
Best for martial arts and crime drama: Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition
For a more focused open-world crime story, Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition brings Hong Kong crime drama together with martial-arts combat and B-movie-style stunts. Its melee emphasis gives it a different rhythm from a game built primarily around driving and gunplay.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsIt is a strong fit if hand-to-hand action and a concentrated crime plot matter more to you than matching GTA’s larger-scale sandbox.
Rank #3
- Explore a realistic Indian open-world city
- Ride, steal, and race desi bikes
- Perform gangster missions and heists
- Fight enemies and rival gangs
- Customize your gangster avatar
Best for futuristic city exploration and RPG systems: Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 offers a city to explore, cars to drive, gigs, and crime activities in a science-fiction setting. Its RPG systems make character progression and role-playing a larger part of the experience than they are in GTA.
Choose it for the combination of urban exploration and RPG-led play. Its futuristic world and genre emphasis are a substantial departure from a contemporary crime sandbox.
Rank #4
- A Serial Killer Case Collab With The Morbid Podcast: Co-created with Ash and Alaina, this immersive horror mystery game drops you into a 1985 cold case with realistic evidence and a hidden truth.
- Solve a Realistic Cold Case: Crack ciphers, examine forensic files, and dig through a mystery box of clues. A true crime detective game for adults who actually want to investigate, not roll dice.
- Includes an Exclusive Podcast Episode: Recorded just for this case. Listen for clues hidden inside the audio. More than a board game, it's a true crime puzzle box that talks back.
- Realistic Evidence at Your Fingertips: Vintage newspaper clippings, suspect profiles, a locked box, a bloody scrunchie, a train figurine. Detective board game energy, no plastic tokens in sight.
- Game Night for People Who Like Their Fun A Little Dark: Play solo or with a group. A murder mystery party game for date night, girls night, dinner parties, or any couples game night that needs a body.
Best for dense urban activities: Yakuza 0
Yakuza 0 is a good option if you value story, city texture, and a varied collection of activities. Its city districts offer plenty to do, but the scale is more compact than GTA’s and the action has its own combat emphasis.
It makes more sense as a crime drama with lively urban districts than as a substitute for a huge, freely drivable map.
Best Value
- City of Open World Gangster setting of the video game Grand Gangsters
- Grenades are used in shooting gang games and melee weapons in mafia battles.
- Real big gangsters commit crimes in a city with a mafia-related history.
- Run the city scenes in gang city gangster games to experience modern city crime and mafia.
- In a mafia criminal city, mafia fights resemble genuine gangster shootings.
Best for a grounded organized-crime plot: Mafia III
If your priority is a crime story rather than sandbox breadth, consider Mafia III. GamesRadar characterizes the Mafia series as more grounded and points to this entry’s narrative focus.
That makes it a better match for readers after a slower-burning organized-crime plot than for those chiefly seeking GTA-style freedom and a broad range of activities.
Check platform and edition before you buy
The platform list in GamesRadar’s comparison is a snapshot, not a guarantee that every edition is currently sold or available in every region. It lists PC, PS4, and Xbox One for Red Dead Redemption 2, Watch Dogs 2, and Sleeping Dogs; PC, PS4, and Xbox One for Yakuza 0 and Mafia III; and PC, PS5, Switch 2, and Xbox Series X for Cyberpunk 2077. Editions and regional availability can differ, so check the current store listing for your platform and confirm the specific edition before purchasing.
Rockstar’s support page, last updated August 18, 2026, on GTA VI platforms, editions, and versions, says the physical version will come in a box with a download code and no disc. If you are waiting for a particular format or platform, check Rockstar’s official listings again before making plans.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
