Disappointed that you have to wait another 12 months to explore the state of Leonida and the iconic Vice City in GTA VI? Me too, but these 13 games should soothe your hunger for GTA VI and then some.
While some are old and some are heavily inspired by Rockstar’s take on the open-world genre, they all offer something a bit different—whether it’s a focus on melée combat, management sim tendencies, or a completely different pace.
1
Schedule I
Despite being a Steam Early Access title, Schedule I is probably the best way to wait out the imminent arrival of GTA VI. The game plays similarly to GTA Online, but has a much greater focus on day-to-day operations that make up the big chunk of building a crime empire.
You start from the bottom and work your way up until your illicit organization is the force to be reckoned with. The game also includes online co-op, allowing you to live the life of crime with your best buds. Awww! Produce, distribute, crush the competition, and build your crime legacy in this brilliant game developed by just one person.
2
Shakedown: Hawaii
Shakedown: Hawaii is a pixel-art tribute not only to the classic, top-down GTA titles, but also other retro and modern titles such as Hotline Miami, and the top-down shooters of yore.
The gameplay loop is fast and vicious, but Shakedown: Hawaii is about more than high-octane shootouts. You play as a CEO who doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty. On top of the action-packed missions, you also have to build and expand your empire, with your ultimate goal being complete control over the island on which the game takes place.
You’ll buy new properties by shaking down previous owners, and sabotaging your competitors by illegal means. Pixel art graphics mean the game plays great on potato PCs and handhelds even at ultra-low-power envelopes, allowing you to build your Hawaii empire on the go without your handheld’s battery dying after just a few hours of action.
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3
American Fugitive
American Fugitive is an indie game that plays like an isometric GTA game set in a small town down in the south during the 80s. The main character is Will Riley, who busts out of prison with the sole goal of finding out who murdered his father, a crime he was wrongfully accused of. Once he’s out, it’s time for an impromptu investigation and many police chases.
The story’s solid, and the open-world action is more than decent, with story missions that play out similarly to American Fugitive’s main source of inspiration. This can lead to some frustrating moments, but the game’s brisk enough to not overstay its welcome. I had finished it a few years ago, and it made me hungry for more GTA-like action, so I installed GTA IV and had a blast.
4
GTA IV
GTA IV is often regarded as the black sheep of the series in terms of its overtly dark tone and insistence on realism. But this is far from the truth. For myself, GTA IV is one of the best games ever and probably the best GTA game to date.
Its drab backdrop, emotionally charged story, cast of well-written characters, and lively world filled with NPCs that convincingly react to the chaos and destruction you sow across Liberty City was an impressively potent combo back in 2008. The thing is, the game’s as fun to play today as it was when it came out.
I beat it for what I estimate to be the fifth time a few years ago, and the game’s still got it. GTA IV is as relevant today as it was in the late aughts. Just replace Web 2.0 with Web 3.0 and the advent of AI, and the satire of modern Western society is as fresh as ever. The lean and succinct (in terms of playtime and the size of the world) GTA IV is a perfect entrée for the main dish that should arrive in about 12 months.
5
Red Dead Redemption
Red Dead Redemption is another Rockstar title I recently played, and I’ve got to say, the game has aged gracefully. Sure, the open world mission design feels dated in 2025, but everything else, from the story to the cast to the visuals and the art direction, is spotless.
John Marston is one of the best-written main characters ever, and the game looks surprisingly good for a 2010-vintage title. The increased draw distance and impeccable art design help a lot to make RDR look more recent than it really is, and the world’s filled with moody locations that ooze the spirit of the Wild West. Riding your horse across the desert has never felt this good—except maybe in Red Dead Redemption 2.
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6
Watch Dogs 2
Watch Dogs 2 is, hands down, my favorite part of the Watch Dogs trilogy. The only thing I furrow my brow at is the overtly gushy attitude of some characters, which feels unnatural considering they’re risking their lives fighting against a Silicon Valley conglomerate, and the driving model, which is quite underwhelming.
Everything else is good to great. The world is beautiful, burbling with vivid colors and featuring a ton of immaculately recreated landmarks found in the real-life Bay Area.
The gameplay is engaging, with most missions allowing you to infiltrate locations remotely with various drones, which is a breath of fresh air compared to most other games, where you’re limited to controlling the main protagonist.
The story is serviceable enough to keep you hooked ’till the end credits, and the mission design is pretty accomplished, with enough variation to stay fresh throughout the game.
7
Mafia II: Definitive Edition
Mafia II originally came out in 2010, and I remember having lots of fun with it. While Empire Bay, the fictional city the game takes place in, doesn’t provide as many extracurricular activities as GTA games, the story and missions are on par with what’s offered in the GTA series.
The story is the strongest link of the Mafia II chain, a brilliant portmanteau of the best parts of famous mob movies, delivering a deluge of tense moments, emotional scenes, and high-octane shootouts.
The Definitive Edition of the game offers a visual facelift and is available for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles. If you’re a PC gamer, you can choose between the classic version of the game (which still holds up surprisingly well) or the remaster.
8
The Precinct
Most cops and robbers games, including the GTA series, place you in the boots of the robbers. The Precinct turns the tables and lets you play as a cop during the 80s in the fictional Averno City, all while having to follow police procedures, not use excessive force, and not act like you’re on the other side of the law.
This formula might get overbearing at times, but once things heat up and the action ramps up, The Precinct turns into an exciting open-world game filled with thrilling chases, chaotic shootouts, and intense action. Looking for an old-school GTA-like where you play as a cop? This is the best option out there.
9
Teardown
If you’re waiting for GTA VI mostly for a chance to play its online heists portion (which will most likely see a return), then download Teardown and plan your next heist in fully destructible environments that beg for outside-the-box plans that include lots of, well, teardowns.
In-game levels aren’t simply filled with fully destructible structures; they feature fully simulated environments you can use to your advantage. You can use the direct, brute force approach, but you can also make your own, unique routes by utilizing in-game objects to create new structures and pull off creative heists using a wide selection of tools at your disposal.
The game not only features fully destructible voxel environments, but it also looks stunning and features a story campaign as well as a sandbox mode, satisfying fans of both guided and “choose your own adventure” experiences.
Once you’re done with the story and get bored with the sandbox mode, install some mods and see what the community has to offer. You’ll be surprised by the number and quality of mods, many of which provide just as good, if not better, fun as the 40 missions the story mode offers.
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10
Maniac
Want to let yourself loose, GTA-style, but don’t want to download an entire GTA game just to enjoy causing havoc all over the city? Maniac is just what the doctor ordered. This simulation of the signature GTA mayhem is an isometric rogue-lite where your only goal is maximizing destruction while staying alive as long as possible.
Built around the Vampire Survivors foundation and featuring ridiculous, Postal-like art design, Maniac is a perfect pocket-sized chunk of unabated chaos and destruction to keep the adrenaline pumping while waiting for GTA VI to come out.
