TheGrand Theft Autoseries effectively gave birth to an entire genre of games, but they’ve always been aimed at mature audiences. In the wake of Rockstar’s various successes, many studios have attempted to replicate and iterate on this formula.
The exact “rules” surrounding what makes aGTAclone are open for interpretation, so there is a decent selection of games that fall somewhere within this realm that also happen to be suitable for younger audiences.
The following games range from a 7+ rating right through to a T for Teen rating (as per the ESRB). Games suited for a younger audience appear first, with the more mature titles at the end. Your idea of what’s appropriate will probably vary, so you’re going to need to use your own discretion when navigating this list.
Wobbly Life(PEGI 7)
Wobbly Lifewas released into early access on Steam in 2020 and describes itself as a “vibrant open-world physics sandbox.” The ESRB hasn’t assigned it a rating yet but PEGI, the European equivalent, has given the game a “PEGI 7” rating.
The game features a large open world that’s full of mini-games and toys just waiting to be discovered. There are currently more than 50 “missions” to complete, over 90 vehicles (including cars, boats, and flying machines), and a healthy number of clothes with which you can customize your character.
The whole game can be played single-player in four-player co-op. It’s a big old sandbox that emphasizes one thing: messing around, exploring, and having fun. It’s also still under active development, so expect the game to become more refined and to see more content added over time.
LEGO City Undercover(E10+)
LEGO City Undercoveris perhaps the closest this list gets to a “proper” child-appropriateGTAclone. The game was first released in 2013 for the Wii U, but has since seen release on the Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Players take on the role of Chase McCain, a police officer who must go undercover in LEGO City to take down crime boss Rex Fury.
The open world is filled with age-appropriate activities like puzzle-solving, set-building, and platforming challenges. As you progress through the game you’ll get new abilities in the form of disguises and be able to buy more vehicles to summon and drive around, just like you may in Rockstar’s crime sims.
The ESRB gaveLEGO City Undercoveran E10+ rating. The original game ran poorly on the Wii U and last I checked the Switch isn’t much better, so aim for the PC or another console version if you can.
Burnout Paradise Remastered(E10+)
TheBurnoutseries is highly regarded, andBurnout Paradisewas the first time the racer went open-world. The game was first released in 2008 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, later receiving aRemasteredrelease in 2018 for PS4 and Xbox One (with a Switch version landing in 2020). This is arguably one of the finest open-world racing games of its generation, and it still holds up well today.
Unfortunately,Burnout Paradiseisn’t a “true”GTAclone in the sense that there’s no leaving your car. However, a lot of the trappings are here from the open-world exploration, high-octane police chases, and devastating destruction. I have fond memories of ploughing my car into walls just to see the bodywork crumple which was incredibly impressive for the time.
With its focus on driving, the game received an E10+ rating from the ESRB. While the original servers were shut down in 2019, the remastered edition is still online.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom(E10+)
While it might sound like a stretch, Nintendo’s latest entry in theZeldaseries does have some similarities with theGTAseries. For starters, it’s a big open world that’s full of missions to complete and characters to discover. With the building mechanics that were added, you can build your own cars and other vehicles and use them as you see fit on your journey. You can even quickly recall vehicles using auto-build blueprints.
Tears of the Kingdomis ultimately an RPG, so it does differ quite a bit fromGTA. In fact, it probably has more in common with theRed Dead Redemptionseries. Either way, it’s one of the finest games of a generation and if you pick it up on Switch 2 you can get the enhanced edition which runs at 60 frames per second (and targets 4K resolution).
The Simpsons Hit & Run(T)
Few games have seen more requests for a remaster or a remake thanThe Simpsons Hit and Run. Originally released in 2003 for the GameCube, PS2, and Xbox;Hit & Runtakes direct inspiration fromGrand Theft Auto IIIalbeit set in the town of Springfield and starring the cast of the hit show. It’s widely considered to be the bestThe Simpsonsspin-off game.
A product of a different age,Hit & Runcan be brutally hard, notoriously buggy, and lacks many of the quality-of-life features that we’ve become accustomed to. Even so, this is a trueGTAclone in that you’re able to get out of your car, walk around, perform melée attacks, and use everything at your disposal to engage in acts of cartoon violence.
On account of its edgy nature, the ESRB gave this one a T for Teen rating. It may feel a bit tame by today’s standards, and from memory isn’t anywhere near as violent as your average episode of Itchy & Scratchy. Getting the Windows version working can be a pain, so you might need to break your old console out ofresort to emulation for this one.
Bully: Scholarship Edition(T)
Rockstar’s very ownBully(also known asCanis Canem Edit) follows the tale of wayward student Jimmy Hopkins after he is sent to the Bullworth Academy boarding school. Despite the game’s name and the tidal wave of negative attention Rockstar received for it, the game sees Jimmy fighting fire with fire in a bid to stop the bullying that is taking place in his school.
The game has more structure to it than a freeformGTAentry. Classes are essentially mini-games that you have to complete, and as the school year unfolds various seasonal events will occur. The only vehicle in the game is your trusty bicycle, but there’s plenty of sneaking around, exploration, and brawling to occupy your free time.
Bullyis perhaps the Rockstar equivalent of a young adult novel. It deals with some more mature themes, hence its T for Teen rating, but it’s mild compared to even olderGTAtitles. TheScholarship Editionis available on modern consoles, mobile and the PC. Shawn Lee’s soundtrack is worth a shout-out here as being arguablyone of the best of its era.
Marvel’s Spider-Man(T)
Insomniac Games’ accomplishments with theMarvel’s Spider-Manseries should not be overlooked. Though the games lack the driving you’d associate withGTA, each game is set in a big open-world rendition of New York City. Swinging your way around the world feels remarkably good, and there are plenty of activities to discover and map markers to check off.
Like modernGTAgames, theMarvel’s Spider-Manseries is full of epic set pieces in the form of main missions. Combat feels chunky in a manner befitting of a superhero, and though you won’t be shooting guns you may do things like return projectiles in mid-air and make progress through upgraded abilities as the story progresses.
Spider-Man has always been a good guy, and though the game has a fair amount of comic book violence, you’re not taking lives. Even when you’re throwing perps out of windows, they’ll be tethered to the side of the building struggling to get free when you’re done. The ESRB gave all three games in the series a T for Teen rating.
Goat Simulator 3(T)
One major aspect of anyGTAgame is causing as much chaos and destruction as possible, and that’s one area where theGoat Simulatorfranchise excels. The game is just as ridiculous as it sounds: you play as a mischievous goat in a physics sandbox. The aim of the game is to simply have fun in as many ridiculous ways as you can find.
A lot of the action revolves around blowing things up, taking out random passersby, performing stunts, and exploring the largest open world that the franchise has seen to date. It also hassome of the best ragdoll physics in the business. The game also shoe-horns a few extra mechanics in there, like aWolfenstein 3D-inspired first-person shooter section and the ability to customize your character both in terms of abilities and appearance.
While the game is certainly crude and violent, it’s done so in a truly tongue-in-cheek manner. It’s hard not to have fun inGoat Simulator, but you should be aware that the ESRB gave it a T for Teen rating due to its content.
Teardown(T)
The sandbox nature of theGrand Theft Autofranchise and its clones can offer hours of fun, so maybeTeardownis worth a shot. This is a pure physics sandbox that incorporates a series of challenges into level-based progression. Ultimately,the game is about destruction: blowing up buildings to complete objectives in the allotted timespan.
Different materials have different properties, so wood will burn and splinter but brick will take far more force to break. You can spend hours just blowing things up, setting off chain reactions, and playing with the various vehicles in the game. There’s the ability to unlock all weapons and maps via a checkbox in the settings menu, plus a very healthy modding scene for downloading new maps and contraptions.
Teardownreceived a T for Teen rating. The game runs best on a high-end PC, but even the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 hold up well until you decide to pop 30 sticks of dynamite at once.
Looking for more age-appropriate games? Check outthe best co-op Switch games to play with your kids.
