Grand Theft Auto 6 has been delayed to November 16, 2026. Luckily, there are a few open world crime games to help you scratch the itch.
Grand Theft Auto 4 was released in 2008
Grand Theft Auto 6 has been delayed. Again. We can all cue in the “my disappointment is immeasurable, and my day is ruined” meme, but the truth is very few really expected GTA 6 to stick to its May 2026 release date. Considering the scale of the project, the amount of detail visible in the two trailers, and the astronomic standards of polish we've all come to expect from a Rockstar Games title, Grand Theft Auto 6 obviously requires more time in the auto shop.
But lift your hearts, for there are more games to play. There are always more games to play. New ones, old ones, and the scariest of them all: the ones in your backlog. But if you can't have the real thing, it's only natural to want to get something that feels like it. And so, this is going to be a list of ‘we have GTA 6 at home' games.
It's surprising but also understandable that the third-person open world crime genre isn't overflowing with games. There was a time when we had several “GTA clones” — True Crime, Saints Row, Mafia. But open world action-adventure games where you can freely drive around in cars, take on open-ended missions, and mess around in a massive sandbox are expensive and difficult to make. And it doesn't help that GTA is too big to take on. And so, only a few remain that offer Grand Theft Auto adjacent experiences. Here, we'll take a look at five relatively modern open world crime games that you can play while you wait for GTA 6.
Okay, I cheated. There's no better way to get the GTA experience than to play a GTA game. And if you're going to do that, why not play the best of them all (sorry, GTA 5 fans). Grand Theft Auto 4 came out in 2008, and it still has more atmosphere than games being made today.
The GTA series is largely flashy, colourful, and lighthearted, but GTA 4 has a darker tone that really sells the dead American Dream. The game's New York City (Liberty City) setting remains iconic; Niko Bellic remains undefeated as the most interesting GTA protagonist; and the visuals hold up quite well nearly two decades after it came out!
Grand Theft Auto 4 presented a darker tone
Photo Credit: Rockstar Games
If you want something that matches the GTA 6 colour palette, however, Watch Dogs 2 is the right pick. The first Watch Dogs was a disappointment on almost every level, but the second game in the series is actually quite good. The San Francisco setting, the vibrant cast of characters, and the flexible hacking sandbox make it a fun time.
This is a no brainer. Sleeping Dogs is one of the coolest open world crime games ever made. In GTA, you always play the criminal. But Sleeping Dogs answers the question: what if you were a criminal who was an undercover cop?
Set in Hong Kong, the game borrows heavily from Asian action films and delivers an immersive and enthralling open world. The story is great, too. Conflicting loyalties, betrayals, and cinematic action — what more do you need? Sleeping Dogs also carved itself a distinct identity with its excellent martial arts melee combat that you can't find in any other game in the genre.
Sleeping Dogs is set in Hong Kong
Photo Credit: Square Enix/ United Front Games
Saints Row has always been the king of GTA clones. You could say the series is a chaotic, kooky, low-budget version of Grand Theft Auto, but it's also so much more. Saints Row takes that part of GTA games where you go on a crazy rampage in the open world and runs wild with it.
Saints Row 4 dials up that craziness to a hundred. You're the President of the United States and you also have superpowers. Need I say more? Add to that, the over-the-top missions, an alien invasion, and a wild arsenal of weapons, and it's no longer a GTA-adjacent experience. It is its own thing, but it's also a hell of a lot of fun.
Mafia 3 features a compelling protagonist and story
Photo Credit: 2K/ Hangar 13
Mafia 3 is not the best Mafia game. It is flawed, often buggy, and repetitive in its mission design. But it features the series' most interesting protagonist and a compelling story. Set in New Bordeaux, a fictional recreation of New Orleans, in the 1960s, Mafia 3 puts you in the shoes of Lincoln Clay, a Vietnam veteran on the path of revenge.
Mafia games are told from the perspective of the mob. But here, as Clay, you're the outsider gunning for the city's crime families. Mafia 3's technical challenges and uninspired open world activities chip away at the experience, but its emotionally charged narrative, memorable characters, and an evocative 60s setting make up for most of the flaws.
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