Although they were once called “GTA clones”, best games like GTA take inspiration from Rockstar Games’ open-world series and offer recent types of spectacles. Whether you’re looking for unique gunplay, a great storyline, or just a massive sandbox in which to wreak havoc, this solid selection of games will send you on your next adventure.
We’ll preface this guide by saying that there’s no real GTA game on the Switch on this list, and our Grand Theft Auto: Trilogy Switch review explains why. However, there are plenty of great games like GTA that you can play on the go right now. We can also walk you through how to play GTA V on mobile via Steam Link. Now, let’s get down to business.
Here are the best GTA-like games on Switch and mobile:
red dead redemption
Switch
Red Dead Redemption is a classic for good reason, inviting you to experience “the epic Western adventures that defined a generation.” It certainly fills that “GTA but with cowboys” gap you may or may not have in your life – in fact, in our Red Dead Redemption on Switch review, we muse about how the story’s “language and straightforwardness” feel “far more GTA than RDR2” – and that’s not necessarily a bad thing!
If you’re not familiar, Red Dead Redemption is set in early 20th century America and follows former outlaw John Marston. After his wife and son are taken hostage by the government as a ransom for his services as a hitman, he sets out to bring three members of his former gang to justice. If you’re returning to Red Dead Redemption after RDR2, there are tons of little references and tidbits to pick up on, fleshing out the series’ luxurious story.
As a port of a 2010 game, it’s sadly lacking in the game’s excellent multiplayer mode. It’s unlikely to be added in a future patch, but for now, riding the plains on the move is an impressive feat. Red Dead Redemption is a thrilling adventure with a huge open world, a ton of intriguing characters to meet, and some seriously engaging stories to uncover. And from 2023, you can play it anywhere, anytime, thanks to a surprisingly forceful Switch port. So come on, cowboys, it’s time to hop on your horse and take down some bad guys!
Black
Switch
If you like the criminal aspect of GTA but want to be on the right side of the law, why not try LA Noire? If only because it’s a game from Rockstar, the same company that brings you Grand Theft Auto. This detective action-adventure game features an interactive open world, allowing you to roam the streets in a vehicle or on foot.
Perhaps the most compelling aspect of the game is that you don’t just work for the police, but for different agencies, solving a range of cases including arson and homicide. If you want an real noir feel, you can even play the game in black and white.
Go to town
Android /iOS
GTT, hmm, sounds good, a bit like GTA. What a coincidence. Go To Town resembles Grand Theft Auto in more ways than we can count, from the gameplay to the aesthetics to the font used in the game’s marketing. So it should come as no surprise that what you find inside is clearly inspired by the Rockstar series.
You can explore the lovely open world on foot, by car or by motorcycle. There are many places to see and visit, such as the beach, the football stadium, garages and many more. Of course, you also have to be ready to get your hands filthy, especially if you want to ride around the city in style.
Lego City Secret
Switch
Go ahead, become a youthful cop in Lego City Undercover, a place where you can play the Lego version of GTA. This is probably one of the best Lego games and is worth checking out if you like GTA, bricks and the idea of being an undercover cop. You take on the role of Chase and you have to hunt down criminals. However, we think this guy should be locked up considering how much damage he does to the city on his wild chase.
You can explore probably one of the best looking Lego worlds using vehicles, and the game features the typical gameplay mechanics you would expect from a title like this. Honestly, Lego City Undercover is a lot of fun and we suggest you give it a try if you are looking for something with a GTA feel.
GTA Chinatown Wars
Android /iOS
This game was lovingly crafted specifically for mobile devices. Perhaps that’s why it’s one of the best Grand Theft Auto offerings on iOS and Android. Do we need to explain what you’ll find here? Because it’s exactly what you get in other Grand Theft Auto games – a crazy story, an open world, tons of vehicles, weapons, and a whole lot of mayhem.
In Chinatown Wars, you take on the role of Huang Lee, a triad member who travels to Liberty City to deliver the sword to Yu Jian. However, upon entering the city, he is attacked, which leads to the events of the game. Violence and revenge await you in this great portable GTA game.
Manozer
Switch
If you like Grand Theft Auto, you probably like mindless carnage, and that’s exactly what Maneater offers you. Sure, it has an open world like GTA, action, and lets you run wild. What’s more, you play as a bull shark, which you can customize with various upgrades as you progress through the game.
Honestly, it’s the sheer madness of the game that makes it worth playing, and if you like GTA, we have reason to believe you’re open to games that embrace mayhem. Plus, revenge is a common theme in GTA, and that’s also at the heart of Maneater’s plot.
Gangstar Vegas
Android /iOS
If you are a hardcore mobile gamer who also loves GTA, Gangstar Vegas is the perfect game for you. You will play as Jason Malone, a talented MMA fighter who is fighting for his life after winning a fight. Like other games in the Gangstar series, the game features an open world for you to explore and so many weapons that you will trigger more explosions than you can count.
Saints Row: The Third
Switch
This is the closest thing you can get to playing a Grand Theft Auto game without actually playing a GTA game. Saints Row: The Third is probably the best game in the series, and the fact that you can play it on the go on your Switch is fantastic. It’s no wonder Saints Row: The Third features an open world and a ton of weapons.
The gameplay is incredibly similar to GTA, so if you like Rockstar’s series, you’ll feel right at home here. Much like previous Saints Row games, you have just one goal: lead the Third Street Saints gang as they attempt to defeat rival gangs in ongoing turf wars.
Roblox
mobile
Okay, okay, here we go – while Roblox may not be the first game you associate with GTA, given the incredible variety of user-created experiences on the platform, it should come as no surprise that there are some great GTA-style titles worth checking out.
Some great Roblox games like GTA include Jailbreak, Southwest Florida, Da Hood, Mad City, and Streets of Blockwood: Remastered, among many, many more. With recent experiences popping up every day and a ton of Roblox game codes you can get your hands on, Roblox has definitely earned a solid spot on this list, especially for younger audiences looking for a GTA-like experience that’s age-appropriate. For more on that, we also have a Roblox age rating guide to support you keep your kids protected in the huge blocky world.
Simpsons: Hit and Run
PS2 / Gamecube / Xbox
Okay, so I was given strict instructions to limit these choices to Nintendo Switch and mobile devices, but some rules were made to be broken, you know? That’s why I’m including this classic game here. The Simpsons Hit and Run is the definitive GTA experience, and the fact that it’s not being remastered is a travesty. It’s so outrageous that I’m letting my voice be heard by breaking the rules – up the revolution.
Seriously, this game has you racing through Springfield in shiny vehicles, destroying the environment, and flooring the gas, all while completing missions that revolve around a crazy story. If that’s not GTA without guns and sex workers, I don’t know what is.
Saints Row IV: Re-Chosen
Switch
Look, we all know Saints Row games are crazy. But what if you could have superpowers and roam the map like Neo or Superman from The Matrix? Well, Saints Row IV: Reelected is a game about making that fantasy a reality.
Sure, you have all the usual antics to stake your claim to power for your gang, but Saints Row 4 is so extravagant that you can only applaud the developers for taking such a bold step. This is a game where you become the President of the United States in the first ten minutes. Amazing.
Dying featherlight
Switch
Just like in the movie “The Simpsons: Escape from the Scene of the Crime” it is a fraud just a little. Dying Light’s open world is full of zombies trying to rip your face off, and survival isn’t straightforward in this resource-heavy world. But the game does a good job of combining parkour movement with lean, intense combat as you traverse the massive map, completing story quests, side-encounters, and more. Just don’t go out after shadowy, because Dying Light’s enemies get even stronger.
Techland’s first Dying Light game sees Kyle Crane, a covert GRE agent, infiltrate a deadly quarantine zone to find a political figure who has disappeared – and is crooked. However, they have access to a file that could potentially cure the virus plaguing the world of Dying Light.
Dying Light is a game packed with spectacle, with rooftop chases that deliver an adrenaline rush and satisfying combat that tempts you to slaughter all the hungry undead.
