--- title: "GTA alternatives for smartphones: five mobile games with open-city atmosphere and criminal plots" description: "A selection of mobile games with GTA atmosphere: Gangstar Vegas, MadOut2 BigCityOnline, Payback 2, Dude Theft Wars, and Los Angeles Crimes. From criminal plots to comedic physics — what to choose for your smartphone." date: 2026-11-14T07:38:59.767Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/gta-alternatives-for-smartphones-top-games tags: [gta-alternatives, mobile-games, open-world, android-games, gaming, action-games] author: "Marina Slivenko, Darya Fomina" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # GTA alternatives for smartphones: five mobile games with open-city atmosphere and criminal plots ![Characters of a popular mobile action game against the backdrop of a burning night metropolis with cars](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/14/igry-s-atmosferoy-gta-dlya-smartfona-podborka/igry-s-atmosferoy-gta-dlya-smartfona-podborka-1.webp) ## Key Points - Mobile games reproduce the GTA atmosphere: open city, vehicles, criminal plots, and freedom of choice. - Gangstar Vegas is the project closest to GTA with a criminal plot in virtual Las Vegas. - MadOut2 BigCityOnline and Los Angeles Crimes focus on multiplayer mode and freedom of movement. - Payback 2 is a collection of action challenges and races, while Dude Theft Wars is a comedic version of GTA mechanics. The atmosphere of Grand Theft Auto — with its open cities, criminal stories, car adventures, and freedom of choice — can also be experienced on a smartphone screen. Mobile games offer players entire virtual megalopolises where they don't have to follow a single script: you can explore locations, change vehicles, participate in races, and engage in confrontations. Some projects are as close to classic GTA in structure as possible, while others focus on multiplayer mode or a comedic presentation. Below is a selection of games where the familiar formula of «free city + vehicle + crime» is implemented in different ways. ### Gangstar Vegas: a criminal plot in virtual Las Vegas Gangstar Vegas is called one of the mobile projects closest to GTA. Events unfold in virtual Las Vegas, where the player finds themselves at the center of criminal events. The city is filled with cars, entertainment venues, various districts, and characters. Users will find story missions, car races, numerous challenges, and the ability to move freely around the map. A key feature of the project is the combination of a criminal plot with a large number of additional activities: you don't have to constantly follow the main story, you can explore the city, change vehicles, and find activities outside of story missions. ### MadOut2 BigCityOnline: freedom of movement and a multiplayer world MadOut2 BigCityOnline focuses on freedom of movement and interaction between players. Here you can explore a large open world, drive various cars, participate in races, and meet other users. By concept, the game resembles a multiplayer version of GTA, where you don't have to stick to a single script: the player independently chooses what to do, explores locations, and tests various capabilities of the world. An important part of the project is transport: cars here are not just a means of transportation, but one of the main elements of the gameplay. ### Payback 2: street chaos instead of a long story Payback 2 differs from traditional open-world games. Instead of an extensive criminal story, it offers a set of diverse scenarios: car races, street confrontations, tasks using various equipment, and multiplayer competitions. The player can quickly switch from one mode to another without spending much time on completing the story. In terms of atmosphere, the project resembles the most chaotic moments of GTA, when something is constantly happening on the streets, but it is rather a collection of action challenges than a full-fledged game about the criminal life of a big city. ### Dude Theft Wars: GTA in a cartoon and comedic style Not every open-world game has to be a serious criminal drama. Dude Theft Wars uses familiar GTA mechanics, but presents them in a cartoon and comedic style. There is a city, cars, characters, various activities, and the ability to freely explore the surrounding space; the game encourages experimentation and finding your own ways to have fun. The main difference is the humorous presentation: instead of a realistic criminal atmosphere, the player gets funny situations, exaggerated physics, and intentionally simplified graphics. ### Los Angeles Crimes: experiments with the game world Los Angeles Crimes offers another variation of the familiar formula: an urban environment, cars, various modes, and the ability to independently determine what to do next. Free movement, interaction with other users, and various scenarios are available in the game. Of particular interest are the multiplayer capabilities, thanks to which game situations are not limited to pre-prepared tasks. The project does not try to completely replicate the GTA structure: its main advantage is the opportunity to experiment with the game world and create your own adventures. Thus, mobile GTA alternatives differ in tone and mechanics: from the criminal plot close to the original in Gangstar Vegas to the chaotic action challenges of Payback 2 and the comedic physics of Dude Theft Wars. The choice depends on what is more important for the player — a well-crafted story, multiplayer freedom, or a light entertainment mood. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Gangstar New Orleans, Dude Theft Wars и Los Angeles Crimes: игры-альтернативы GTA для смартфона](https://styler.rbc.ua/ukr/trends/gangstar-new-orleans-dude-theft-wars-ta-los-1794567316.html) - Primary source; the main text describes Gangstar Vegas, MadOut2 BigCityOnline, Payback 2, Dude Theft Wars, Los Angeles Crimes. - [Gangstar New Orleans, Dude Theft Wars та Los Angeles Crimes: ігри-альтернативи GTA для смартфона](https://styler.rbc.ua/rus/trends/gangstar-new-orleans-dude-theft-wars-ta-los-1794567316.html) - Russian-language version of the same material; confirms the description of Gangstar Vegas as the mobile project closest to GTA. ## FAQ ### Which mobile game is closest to GTA? According to descriptions, Gangstar Vegas is considered one of the mobile projects closest to GTA: events unfold in virtual Las Vegas with a criminal plot, races, and free movement around the city. ### Which games from the selection focus on multiplayer mode? A multiplayer focus is claimed by MadOut2 BigCityOnline and Los Angeles Crimes — in them, you can interact with other users and not be limited to pre-prepared tasks. ### How does Payback 2 differ from classic open-world games? Payback 2 offers not a long criminal story, but a set of scenarios: races, street confrontations, tasks with equipment, and multiplayer competitions that you can quickly switch between. ### What style is Dude Theft Wars made in? Dude Theft Wars uses GTA mechanics, but in a cartoon and comedic style: with exaggerated physics, simplified graphics, and a humorous presentation.