GTA 6 drops November 19, 2026 on console. The PC version is likely 6-12 months after that. That's a lot of waiting. Rather than replaying GTA 5 for the fifteenth time, here are 36 games across seven categories that'll keep you occupied — and most of them are on deep discount during the Steam Summer Sale right now.
Every game is rated with our standard verdicts and includes current sale prices. Categories range from open-world crime games that scratch the GTA itch directly, to driving games, story masterpieces, and neon-drenched Vice City vibe-setters.
CATEGORIES
Open World Crime & Mayhem (7 games)Massive Open Worlds to Get Lost In (6 games)Story-Driven Masterpieces (5 games)Driving & Racing (4 games)Multiplayer Chaos (4 games)Vice City Vibes (4 games)The Backlog Killers (6 games)Open World Crime & Mayhem
If you want to scratch the GTA itch before November, these are your best bets.
Red Dead Redemption 2
BUYSame developer, same attention to detail, arguably a better story. Arthur Morgan's journey through the dying American frontier is Rockstar at their absolute best. If you haven't played this, stop reading and go buy it.
Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition
BUYGTA meets martial arts in Hong Kong. The hand-to-hand combat system puts every other open-world game to shame. Criminally underrated and regularly under $5 on sale.
Saints Row: The Third Remastered
BUYIf GTA is a crime drama, Saints Row is a crime comedy. Over-the-top action, absurd weapons, and a story that knows exactly how ridiculous it is. The remaster looks great.
Mafia: Definitive Edition
BUYA gorgeous remake of the 2002 classic. Period-accurate 1930s open world with a story that rivals The Godfather. More linear than GTA, but the narrative is tighter for it.
Yakuza 0
BUYThe best entry point into the Yakuza series. Equal parts intense crime drama and absurdist comedy. Run a real estate empire, manage a cabaret club, and beat people up in the streets of 1988 Tokyo.
Just Cause 3
BUYPure open-world destruction sandbox. Wingsuit, grappling hook, unlimited C4. Story is forgettable; the explosions are not.
Watch Dogs 2
BUYOpen-world San Francisco with hacking instead of shooting. The tone is lighter and more playful than the original. Surprisingly fun stealth options.
Massive Open Worlds to Get Lost In
GTA 6's Leonida is going to be enormous. Train your exploration muscles with these.
Elden Ring
BUYThe best open-world game since Breath of the Wild. 100+ hours of content, jaw-dropping world design, and combat that rewards patience and skill. The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is essentially a second game.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
BUYStill the gold standard for open-world storytelling. Every side quest feels handcrafted, Geralt is one of gaming's best protagonists, and the two DLCs are better than most full games.
Cyberpunk 2077
BUYAfter years of patches, this is the game it was meant to be. Night City is the most visually stunning open world ever made. The Phantom Liberty DLC expansion is essential.
Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered
BUYRobot dinosaurs in a post-apocalyptic wilderness. Gorgeous visuals, satisfying combat, and a genuinely compelling mystery about what happened to the old world.
Crimson Desert
BUYThe 2026 open-world action RPG that's been turning heads. Beautiful environments, weighty combat, and a story-driven adventure that borrows the best ideas from The Witcher and Dark Souls.
Spider-Man Remastered
BUYSwinging through Manhattan never gets old. The combat is fluid, the story is heartfelt, and the open world is one of the most fun to traverse in any game. The sequel is great too.
Story-Driven Masterpieces
If GTA 6's narrative is your main draw, these will keep you fed until November.
God of War Ragnarök
BUYKratos and Atreus conclude their Norse saga in one of the best action-adventure games ever made. Emotional gut-punches, spectacular set pieces, and combat that makes you feel like a god.
Disco Elysium: The Final Cut
BUYAn RPG where you solve a murder through conversation, not combat. The writing is the best in any video game, full stop. Every playthrough reveals new dialogue.
Baldur's Gate 3
BUY200+ hours of RPG excellence. The most reactive world in gaming — every choice matters, every path feels genuine. Game of the Year 2023 for very good reasons.
The Last of Us Part I
BUYJoel and Ellie's journey across a fungal apocalypse. The PC port is solid now after rocky launch patches. One of the most emotionally devastating stories in gaming.
Resident Evil Requiem
BUYThe best Resident Evil since RE4 Remake, and the #1 best-selling game of 2026. Survival horror at its finest with a story that ties together decades of franchise lore.
Driving & Racing
Vice City's streets are going to feel incredible. Warm up your road skills.
Forza Horizon 6
BUYThe highest-rated game of 2026 (tied with Mina the Hollower at 92 Metacritic). The open-world racing genre's reigning champion, and it's on Game Pass.
Forza Horizon 5
BUYMexico's open world is gorgeous and the driving feels perfect. If Horizon 6 is too new or too expensive, FH5 is nearly as good and regularly drops below $20.
Need for Speed Unbound
BUYArcade-style street racing with a striking cel-shaded art style. Not as deep as Forza, but the customization and police chases are a blast.
BeamNG.drive
BUYThe most realistic vehicle physics simulator on PC. Smash cars into walls at 200mph and watch them deform in stomach-churning detail. GTA 6's physics will be great, but BeamNG is the physics king.
Multiplayer Chaos
GTA Online is why most people keep coming back to GTA 5. These scratch that itch.
Deep Rock Galactic
BUYFour dwarves mine alien caves and shoot bugs. The best co-op shooter ever made. The community is overwhelmingly positive and the devs are beloved. Rock and Stone.
Lethal Company
BUYYou and your friends explore abandoned moons to collect scrap for your corporate overlords. Horror comedy that generates the best gaming stories you'll ever tell.
Helldivers 2
BUYStarship Troopers: The Game. Chaotic co-op shooting with friendly fire that will test your friendships. For Managed Democracy.
Sea of Thieves
BUYOpen-world pirate sandbox with ship-to-ship combat, treasure hunting, and enough emergent stories to fill a novel. Best with 2-4 friends.
Vice City Vibes
Get in the Miami mood early with these neon-soaked, synthwave-flavored picks.
Hotline Miami Collection
BUYTop-down ultraviolence drenched in synthwave and neon. The original Vice City power fantasy, condensed into razor-sharp levels. The soundtrack alone is worth the price.
Miami Vice: The Game (RetroArch)
DEPENDSOK, this is a PSP game from 2004 that you'd need to emulate, but hear us out — the vibe is immaculate. Alternatively, just replay Vice City Stories.
Far Cry 6
WAITTropical island, guerrilla warfare, Giancarlo Esposito as the villain. The Far Cry formula at its most polished. The Yara setting feels like a preview of GTA 6's Leonida aesthetic.
GTA: Vice City – Definitive Edition
WAITRevisit where it all started. Yes, the Definitive Edition had a rough launch, but patches have improved it significantly. If you've never driven through 1986 Vice City, this is the way to do it before the 2026 version arrives.
The Backlog Killers
Games so good they'll make November feel like it comes too fast.
Hades 2
BUYSupergiant's sequel to the roguelike that swept the Game Awards. Melinoë is a worthy successor to Zagreus, and the gameplay refinements make an already-perfect formula even better.
Stardew Valley
BUYThe antidote to GTA's chaos. Farm, fish, befriend villagers, explore mines. ConcernedApe's masterpiece is the most relaxing game ever made and has more content than games 10x its price.
Hollow Knight
BUY40+ hours of handcrafted metroidvania perfection. The art, music, and combat are all best-in-class. And Silksong exists now if you need more.
Persona 5 Royal
BUY100+ hours of stylish JRPG perfection. The best turn-based combat system ever designed, wrapped in a story about fighting corrupt adults. The style is unmatched.
Subnautica
BUYSurvive on an alien ocean planet. The best survival game ever made because the world is genuinely terrifying and beautiful in equal measure. Go in blind.
Outer Wilds
BUYA 22-minute time loop, a handcrafted solar system, and the greatest sense of discovery in gaming. No combat, no upgrades — just pure exploration genius.
The Bottom Line
That's 36 games, roughly 2,000+ hours of content, and most of them are available for under $20 during the Steam Summer Sale. By the time you finish even half of this list, GTA 6 will be here — and your PC will be ready if you follow our GTA 6 PC Build Guide.
November will be here before you know it. Start playing.