With more than 300 million copies sold, Grand Theft Auto is one of the most popular series in video game history. That success didn't happen overnight though, with the series' formula having been meticulously refined over the course of more than two decades. Although early titles performed well, it would not be until the series made the leap to 3D back in 2001 that it really took off. Since then, it has gone from strength to strength.

Prior to Grand Theft Auto 3, the concept of open-world gaming was very much in its infancy, with only a handful of titles trying anything anywhere near as ambitious. With the rise of GTA though came a flood of imitators hoping to cash in on the emerging open-world market, with the very best GTA clones having gone on to find success of their own.

Updated December 5, 2023, by Tom Bowen: The first trailer for Grand Theft Auto 6 may have finally arrived, but with the game not scheduled for release until some point in 2025, those looking to unleash carnage in an open-world sandbox will have to venture a little further afield for the time being. Thankfully, there have been plenty of great GTA clones over the years, some of which look and play a lot like the franchise that so clearly inspired them. The best GTA clones arguably surpass their inspiration in certain areas, making them must-play titles for fans of Rockstar's popular open-world franchise.

10 True Crime: Streets of LA

Metacritic Rating: 77 (PlayStation 2)

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Rockstar clearly feels otherwise though. Upon the release of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the development team made it perfectly clear how they felt about the True Crime series with an in-game billboard. It mockingly refers to the series as 'True Grime' and on the PC version, typing this into the console will spawn a Trashmaster garbage truck.

Referring to the series as garbage may be a little harsh though, as although it doesn't really come close to challenging Grand Theft Auto when it comes to open-world experiences, there are plenty of silver linings. Both entries in the series do a very good job of replicating the cities in which they are set and also feature some great voice acting.

9 The Godfather

Metacritic Rating: 77 (Xbox 360)

When it comes to crime, The Godfather is to movies what GTA is to gaming. With that in mind, merging the two together should have led to something wonderful. Instead, the 2006 title left many people wondering what might have been had just a bit more thought been put into the project.

That said, it did bring some nice ideas to the table like the extortion mechanic, and is certainly fun to play. In a world where subtlety and inference provide much of the narrative tension though, the gung-ho gameplay just doesn't feel quite right. As a game, it's pretty good, but as a Godfather game, it just misses the mark.

8 Sunset Overdrive

Metacritic Rating: 83 (PC)

Whether or not Sunset Overdrive can really be classed as a true GTA clone is perhaps a matter for debate, though many of the ideas and mechanics found throughout the game can easily be traced back to the early 3D Grand Theft Auto games. Apart from the zombies, that is. It's these, together with the game's fantastic map traversal mechanics, that make it such a blast to play.

The oft-overlooked Xbox exclusive is one of the most fun-filled games for the system and is arguably the closest that Microsoft really came to matching the excellent mobility found in Marvel's Spider-Man. It doesn't quite reach those same lofty heights but is still a highly enjoyable action-adventure game for those looking to blow off some steam by blowing up some zombies.

7 Crackdown

Metacritic Rating: 83 (Xbox 360)

Though the Crackdown series had begun to run out of steam by the time of its third installment, the first two Crackdown games are considered by many to be among the very best GTA clones. This is because they each sought to build upon the hugely successful Grand Theft Auto formula rather than just trying to emulate it pixel for pixel. Granted, the first game's narrative is weak and its music isn't a patch on GTA's, but it's a more than solid title nonetheless.

Perhaps the most notable thing about the first Crackdown game was its implementation of multiplayer; something that wouldn't come to the GTA series for quite some time. Its unique art style also helped to set it apart from some of the other turn-of-the-century open-world sandbox games, putting aside the quest for hyper-realism in favor of a more stylized cell-shaded approach. With this in mind, it's easy to see why some are still hoping for a fourth Crackdown game someday.

6 Scarface: The World is Yours

Metacritic Rating: 76 (Xbox)

The Grand Theft Auto series has always taken a lot of inspiration from old gangster movies, particularly those starring the mercurial talent that is Al Pacino. Vice City arguably provides the best examples of this, with numerous references made to both Carlito's Way and Scarface throughout the game. The latter movie would later get its own video game adaptation in the form of Scarface: The World is Yours, which, perhaps fittingly, borrows plenty of elements from GTA.

It's an open-world third-person action-adventure game that looks incredibly similar to early 3D Grand Theft Auto titles. Combat isn't all that different either, although developers did make it impossible to harm innocent civilians - either with weapons or vehicles. It's nowhere near as well-polished as a Rockstar game, but for those looking for a solid GTA clone, it's definitely worth a look.

5 The Getaway

Metacritic Rating: 72 (PlayStation 2)

Heavily inspired by British cinema, The Getaway was an incredibly ambitious title. It certainly had its fair share of problems, but there was a lot to love about it too. From its intricate plot to its detailed environments, it offered an experience that was different enough from GTA to stand on its own two feet but still familiar enough to entice fans of Rockstar's games.

The game performed well both critically and commercially and even spawned a sequel. Despite The Getaway: Black Monday's failure to expand upon the original formula, it still sold well enough for a third Getaway game to be greenlit. Early footage of The Getaway 3 was incredibly impressive for the era, but it was ultimately canceled a few years into development.

4 Mafia

Metacritic Rating: 88 (PC)

Where The Godfather tied itself to a pre-existing IP, 2K's Mafia instead opted for a broader take on organized crime. As a result, the violence and high-octane scenes feel far more believable as they're taking place in a world of their own rather than one that has already been explored. It still feels like the organized crime that everyone knows and loves, but an interpretation of it that's fresh and unique.

Although the console ports leave a lot to be desired, the PC version is a thing of beauty. Its stunning environments are backed up with solid gameplay and a more than serviceable narrative. Subsequent Mafia titles may have failed to reach the same lofty heights, but the original provides a masterclass on how to adapt a concept into an engaging experience.

3 The Simpsons: Hit & Run

Metacritic Rating: 82 (PC)

Springfield doesn't seem like a great setting for a GTA-style game, but the two franchises meld together surprisingly well. Although it might not feature the crime and violence that are synonymous with Grand Theft Auto, the influence that the series had on The Simpsons: Hit & Run and its predecessor is clear for all to see. It's arguably more of a parody than a clone, but, whatever it is, there's no disputing that it is a lot of fun.

There's a heavy emphasis placed on exploration and a plot that's coherent enough to keep players along for the ride. Its real strength though comes in the form of its humor, which is thankfully more nineties Simpsons than modern-day. It's not at all surprising that the game performed well, but that there was never a true sequel to The Simpsons: Hit & Run remains perplexing to many.

2 Sleeping Dogs

Metacritic Rating: 83 (PS3)

Sleeping Dogs went through several iterations before the finished game was finally released. At one point it was to be part of the True Crime series and had the working title True Crime: Hong Kong. A few years into development though, Activision sold the publishing rights to Square Enix, and a brilliant game was born.

Sleeping Dogs maintains the fantastic world-building that the True Crime games had perfected but is able to back them up with some incredibly tight gameplay. Combat is great and the environmental kills make for some wonderfully cinematic moments. It's still not quite on par with Grand Theft Auto but really isn't too far behind.

1 Saints Row 2

Metacritic Rating: 82 (PS3)

Although much of its core gameplay remains incredibly similar to GTA, Saints Row differentiates itself in many ways. Its wacky sense of humor takes it into realms of absurdity that GTA has never dared to explore whilst its wide array of minigames and side-activities offer distractions that are far more enjoyable than the laundry list of fetch quests found in many of the earlier GTA titles.

Saints Row may have started out as a GTA clone, but it has mutated into something much, much more. It still has some work to do if it ever wishes to topple its long-term rival, but given the success it has achieved throughout the years, Saints Row has nothing left to prove to anyone. The series is very much its own entity now and one that may someday spawn little clones of its very own. For that to be the case though, it will need to do much better than the 2022 reboot, which most felt was inferior to its predecessors in just about every possible way.