14 Games Like Sleeping Dogs in 2026: Crime Epics & Brawling

Our Top Picks for Games Like Sleeping Dogs

Here are the three top games I consider to be on par with what Sleeping Dogs is all about. From urban exploration to striking visuals and gameplay style, these games offer an experience unlike any other.

Grand Theft Auto V

OPEN WORLD

In terms of sheer scale, GTA V is the undisputed heavyweight champ. It’s not just the massive open world, though; it also gives you three characters to play with, plenty of heists, and enough side activities to keep you busy for months.

Yakuza 0

ACTION RPG

When we talk about iconic beat-em-ups accompanied by a gripping story, Yakuza 0 is by far the closest spiritual successor to Sleeping Dogs. This game lets you switch between multiple combat styles, which makes every street fight feel ridiculously satisfying.

Watch Dogs

OPEN WORLD

This one is a cool twist on Sleeping Dogs’ urban crime theme. Instead of relying on martial arts, the game’s unique hacking mechanics let you cause massive traffic pileups, shut down power grids, and even mess with people’s bank accounts.

These three picks are just to give you a taste of what lies ahead. Head on below and find out even more action-packed games similar to Sleeping Dogs!

14 Games Like Sleeping Dogs: Fight, Drive, & Be a Crime Boss

Listed below are the 15 best games like Sleeping Dogs that I’ve found over the years – rated and ranked according to both their quality and how closely they resemble Sleeping Dogs’ core gameplay, themes, combat mechanics, story, and overall feel.

Grand Theft Auto V

Best for Massive Open-World Sandbox

• Our Score
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• Type of game
• Open-World, Action-Adventure, Sandbox
• Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3/4/5, Xbox 360/One/Series X/S
• Release Year
• Rockstar North
• Rockstar Games
• Average playtime
• ~ 45 hours
• We have a long list ahead of us, so let me get the most obvious and arguably
• the best game like
• Sleeping Dogs
• , out of the way first. I’m of course talking about

Grand Theft Auto V

• , and to a larger extent, the
• GTA
• series as a whole, which
• Sleeping Dogs

and a lot of other open-world games like it took inspiration from.

GTA V is the crown jewel of a franchise with roots that run surprisingly deep – and if you want proof of just how far the series has come, our GTA: The Trilogy review is a great place to start.

Want to take a stolen tank on a joyride like an absolute madman? Rob a bank? Take all sorts of wacky side missions, or just beat up random NPCs just because they looked at you funny? It’s all here!

Why we chose it What makes GTA V such an excellent alternative is its heavy reliance on crime-centric story themes and gameplay mechanics. It’s THE open-world crime sandbox series that all titles in the same genre aspire to be like, and that includes Sleeping Dogs.

This game is the best-selling Grand Theft Auto game (so far). It has the best graphics, vehicular controls, side quest variety, and map size compared to the Liberty City of GTA III and GTA IV – at least until the most anticipated game in decades finally comes out (insert obligatory “I can’t believe we got blank before GTA VI” joke here).

My Verdict:

GTA V is just one of those games that need no introduction or an outro. If you’re a fan of Sleeping Dogs and haven’t played it already, then you’re really missing out.

Yakuza 0

Best for Action-Packed Crime Story and Tons of Minigames

• Our Score
• ☆
• ★
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• Type of game
• Action-Adventure, Beat ’em up, Business Sim
• Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3/4, Xbox One
• Release Year
• Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
• Sega
• Average playtime
• ~ 57 hours
• If you’re hooked on
• Sleeping Dogs
• because you loved the martial arts, I want you to stop scrolling right now and pick up

Yakuza 0

.

I promise I’m not just saying this because I’m shilling for one of my all-time favorite games. This prequel to the main Yakuza series is arguably the best place to start, which I highly recommend you do ASAP.

This game features two protagonists, Kiryu and Majima, whose origin stories are set in 1980s Japan, and both plots are absolutely phenomenal. Seriously, I was hooked by the end of the first chapter – it’s easily one of the top story games you can play if you’re into crime dramas.

Why we chose it The absurd finishers in

Yakuza 0

make every street encounter feel like a mini-action movie, which is exactly the kind of intensity that I think any Sleeping Dogs fan will appreciate. I know I did!

What makes me a die-hard fan of the Yakuza series, personally, is how well it balances its over-the-top comedic moments with the heavier, more dramatic scenes.

However, this game in particular did it best (amongst lots of other things), which is why I personally consider it the best game in the entire franchise.

My Verdict:

Yakuza 0

is an absolute must-buy for those of you who are obsessed with titles that feature fleshed-out melee combat mechanics and deeply emotional crime stories – à la Sleeping Dogs.

Watch Dogs

Best for Unique Hacking Mechanics

• Our Score
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• ★
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• Type of game
• Open-World, Action-Adventure, Stealth
• Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3/4, Xbox 360/One, Wii U
• Release Year
• Ubisoft Montreal
• Ubisoft
• Average playtime
• ~ 29 hours

Watch Dogs

• is
• an interesting detour from the typical open-world crime formula
• , but it still fits perfectly as a close parallel to
• Sleeping Dogs

.

The debut of this title had an amazing concept that felt genuinely fresh. Basically, you can manipulate the entire infrastructure, from traffic lights to security cameras and even people’s phones to complete your missions or, you know, just for kicks.

Why we chose it Watch Dogs’ brand of gameplay freedom through its hacking mechanics is what makes this title and its entire series stand out from all the other games on this list, and is a very nice add-on to your typical crime open-world shenanigans.

The visual style is a distinct, moody, and almost noir take on modern urban life. And sure, the hacking is the star, but the gunplay and cover-based action in this game are amazing, too, all of which makes it a powerful contender among top open-world games that come with their own, fresh take on the genre.

My Verdict:

If you’re a tech-savvy solo player who wants a creative spin on the open world formula, pick this up. It’s perfect for those who want to experience manipulating an entire city through technology instead of just brute force.

Mafia: Definitive Edition

Best for Authentic 1930s Crime Drama

• Our Score
• ☆
• ★
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• Type of game
• Story-Driven, Action-Adventure, Third-Person Shooter
• Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
• Release Year
• Hangar 13
• 2K Games
• Average playtime
• ~ 12 hours
• If you want a break from martial arts and straight chaos, look no further than

Mafia: Definitive Edition

• . This game is a pure, cinematic crime drama, and comes into this list swinging strong with its
• 1930s, crime-ridden Prohibition Era setting and atmosphere that’s absolutely immersive

.

This Definitive Edition completely rebuilt the original game, and the graphics and presentation are absolutely stunning.

Set in the 1930s, this is the origin story of Tommy Angelo, a cab driver who gets drawn into the Salieri mafia family. My favorite part is how Hangar 13 focused on historical authenticity;

the driving is deliberately chunky, the city feels real, and every cutscene is movie-quality.

Why we chose it Unlike the huge open world of Sleeping Dogs,

Mafia: Definitive Edition

is far more linear and character-driven, but that focused structure makes the crime-heavy narrative incredibly powerful.

If you played Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven back in the day, you owe it to yourself to experience the beginning of that timeline again. After all, the quality of this remake truly solidified it as one of the best Mafia games available right now.

My Verdict:

Mafia: Definitive Edition

is a short but incredibly sweet crime masterpiece, and is a must-play if you’re a series newbie who wants to get in on Mafia II, III, and even the most recent Mafia: The Old Country – all of which are very solid crime RPG games in their own right.

Saints Row 2

Best for Early 2000s Gang Chaos

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• Type of game
• Open world, Action-adventure, Racing
• Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
• Release Year
• Volition
• THQ
• Average playtime
• ~ 26 hours
• Saints Row
• is arguably the best entry in the entire
• Saints Row
• series because it
• perfectly balanced a serious crime story with ridiculous mini-activities

(subsequent titles tend to be a little…out there).

You get to fully customize your character and lead the saints back to power, reclaiming the city from rival gangs.

The level of customization, from clothing to vehicle modding, is really awesome for its time and lets you make the experience truly your own.

Why we chose it

Saints Row 2

hooks me with pure chaos that lets me mess around in the city while building my character my way. The mix of wild mini-games and shooting action keeps me coming back every time I jump into the streets.

This one also offers great third-person shooting action and is definitely one of the best TPS games of its era. It’s a fantastic choice if you want a fun open-world experience without too many rules, which really is just the Saints Row franchise in a nutshell.

My Verdict:

If you want to experience the pure, unfiltered mayhem that early 2000s open-world games are known for, you just have to grab

Saints Row 2

.

True Crime: Streets of LA

Best for Old-School East/West Coast Action

• Our Score
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• Type of game
• Action-Adventure, Open-World, Law Enforcement
• Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube
• Release Year
• Luxoflux
• Activision
• Average playtime
• ~ 11 hours
• Okay, let’s throw it back to the early 2000s! Before
• Sleeping Dogs

gave us Wei Shen, we had the original undercover cop open-world experience:

True Crime: Streets of LA

.

This game was a wild, ambitious pioneer. You play as Nicholas Kang, tearing up the actual streets of a huge, detailed Los Angeles. It was definitely one of the excellent action-adventure games of its time, and it remains a resounding must-play for crime RPG fans to this day.

Why we chose it What always blew my mind about True Crime: Streets of LA, back when I first played it (besides being able to play as Snoop Dogg), was the karma system, which lets you unlock completely different endings – a fun feature that even Sleeping Dogs didn’t have.

I remember replaying it just to see the good ending! It has a fun combo of shooting, driving, and even some light martial arts, which is why it feels like an early ancestor to Sleeping Dogs.

My Verdict:

If you want a fun, nostalgic trip back to the early days of the crime-centric action adventure genre, this retro classic should be more than a worthy addition to your library.

★ Best for Old-School East/West Coast Action

True Crime: Streets of LA

Just Cause 3

Best for Explosive Open-World Chaos

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• Type of game
• Action-Adventure, Open-World, Destruction Mechanics
• Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
• Release Year
• Avalanche Studios
• Square Enix
• Average playtime
• ~ 38 hours
• In
• Sleeping Dogs,
• you get to play as a scrappy, yet highly skilled martial artist. But in

Just Cause 3

• ,
• you’re pretty much a demolition expert

. This game, from the unhingly creative minds at Avalanche Studios, is all about freedom, destruction, and defying gravity.

Here, you play as Rico Rodriguez, and your main job is to liberate the huge, Mediterranean World of Medici by blowing up every military installation in sight.

Why we chose it

The sheer amount of destructive stuff you can play around with in

Just Cause 3

is MIND-BLOWING (sorry, I just had to), and so are its smooth mobility mechanics. They’re not just for your use, too, as they let you link anything to anything – like tying enemy vehicles to giant gas tanks and launching them into the sky like homemade fireworks.

While Rico’s story isn’t as deep as Wei Shen’s, the moment-to-moment gameplay is just pure, unadulterated fun. Being able to complete all the chaotic missions and turn the entire island into your personal playground is immensely satisfying.

My Verdict:

If you need a break from serious crime drama and just want a physics sandbox to mess around in,

Just Cause 3

is the game to play.

True Crime: New York City

Best for Gritty NYC Atmosphere

• Our Score
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• Type of game
• Action-Adventure, Third-person shooter, Open-World
• Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube
• Release Year
• Luxoflux
• Activision
• Average playtime
• ~ 16 hours
• Let’s head back to the mid-2000s for a bit more
• True Crime
• action! This time, we’re in the incredibly rough city streets of the Big Apple with

True Crime: New York City

. You play as Marcus Reed, a seriously intense protagonist who has a much darker story than Nicholas Kang.

Why we chose it

True Crime: New York City

was a bit rough around the edges when it came out, but the sheer ambition of that open world was amazing. It’s a great piece of open-world history that feels like a rougher, older cousin to Sleeping Dogs.

This game feels very similar to Streets of LA in its mechanics, but the atmosphere is totally different; it’s less sunny California and more hard-edged New York.

You spend a lot of time conducting precinct-based mini-search missions and trying to balance your morality, which gives the gameplay a cool detective feel.

My Verdict:

True Crime: New York City

is a fun, nostalgic play that I think you’ll appreciate if you liked that undercover cop vibe in Sleeping Dogs.

★ Best for Gritty NYC Atmosphere

True Crime: New York City

The Getaway

Best for Realistic London Recreation

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• Type of game
• Action-Adventure, Third-Person Shooter, Racing
• PlayStation 2
• Release Year
• Team Soho
• Sony Computer Entertainment
• Average playtime
• ~ 13 hours

The Getaway

• was seriously ambitious for its time, setting its intense crime story against a
• remarkably accurate, full-scale map of London

at the time.

The whole game is centered around a desperate revenge plot where you play as Mark Hammond, a former gangster trying to bring peace back to his life, but a crime boss forces him onto a deadly path.

Why we chose it ​What truly made

The Getaway

special was its cinematic approach. There’s almost no HUD, meaning your sense of direction is provided by your car’s turn signals, and you have to watch your character start limping to gauge his health.

The lack of hand-holding adds incredible tension when you’re constantly running from the police. You truly lose hope for your protagonist because the whole thing is so raw and unforgiving.

My Verdict:

For those of you who are fans of the gritty crime drama vibe of Sleeping Dogs and don’t mind a similar open-world experience with a distinct British twist,

The Getaway

should be a fantastic, more retro choice for your next playthrough.

★ Best for Realistic London Recreation

The Getaway

Shenmue 3

Best for Slow-Paced, Immersive World Building

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• Type of game
• Action-Adventure, Open-World, Life-Sim
• Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4
• Release Year
• Ys Net
• Deep Silver
• Average playtime
• ~ 32 hours
• Alright, I have to be upfront: this one totally has a different style and pace from the high-octane action of
• Sleeping Dogs
• , but if you love the overall atmosphere and unique mechanics found in the martial arts genre, I absolutely have to mention

Shenmue 3

.

You won’t find the immediate martial arts intensity that United Front games perfected. This game, for the most part, is a deliberate, slow-burning adventure that’s all about Ryo Hazuki’s continued quest for revenge.

Why we chose it

Shenmue 3

’s central focus is on martial arts training and slow, detailed life simulation, making it a unique cousin to Sleeping Dog s. The game rewards players who take their time to master techniques, not those who rush through the action.

The methodical core gameplay, where you must strategically manage your limited resources and choose what skills to level up with efficiency in mind, is why this title feels like one of the most unique strategy games slash fighting game hybrids you can play.

​I should definitely mention that the slow pace is a feature, not a bug – it creates an incredibly immersive world you explore at your own speed.

My Verdict:

Shenmue 3

is a great choice for any patient solo gamer who enjoys detailed world-building and meditative gameplay over constant action, as this game is built around slowly mastering martial arts and getting lost in the life of adventure, instead of your usual non-stop brawls.

The Warriors

Best for Old-School Gang Brawling

• Our Score
• ☆
• ★
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• Type of game
• Beat ’em up, Action-Adventure
• Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox, PlayStation Portable
• Release Year
• Rockstar Toronto
• Rockstar Games
• Average playtime
• ~ 12 hours

The Warriors

• is an absolute blast from the past, courtesy of Rockstar, and it’s
• an essential pick-up for anyone who loves old-school brawling games

.

This game perfectly recreates the vibe of the 1979 cult movie, putting you in the shoes of a gang trying to find its way back home after being framed for murder.

​The core gameplay is a classic beat ’em up, and it’s gloriously straightforward. You’ll be using heavy and light attacks, and yes, sometimes you just need to spam that quick punch button to clear out a massive crowd of rivals.

Why we chose it

This classic beat ’em up is pure, nostalgic gang action that perfectly recreates the vibe and story of the cult movie. The gameplay is simple, fun, and co-op-friendly, letting you bulldoze your way through waves of rival gangs.

But don’t let the simple mechanics fool you. The stakes are high, and getting jumped means a brutal fight to the near-death. The entire experience feels like a long, desperate night as you run through the neon-lit streets of New York, constantly fighting for your life.

My Verdict:

The Warriors

is a fantastic, nostalgic gem that delivers pure gangfighting action. If you loved the street combat focus of Sleeping Dogs but just want a linear brawl fest, you’ll absolutely DIG IT!

★ Best for Old-School Gang Brawling

The Warriors

Sifu

Best for Skill-Based Martial Arts Combat

• Our Score
• ☆
• ★
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• ★
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• Type of game
• Beat ’em up, Action, Indie
• Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series X/S
• Release Year
• Sloclap
• Sloclap
• Average playtime
• ~ 12 hours
• In

Sifu

• , you can either be an absolute ass-kicking machine like Batman in the
• Arkham

games or a buffoon who aged up to an old geezer just to clear a level – and therein lies the charm of this top-tier indie title.

This game is laser-focused on realistic kung fu combat and features one of the most unique mechanics I’ve seen in years:

every time you “die,” your character ages up, bringing serious consequences to every mistake you make.

Why we chose it Every fight sequence in

Sifu

feels like an interactive martial arts film. When it comes to sheer depth of the hand-to-hand combat mechanics and the satisfaction you get from surviving brawls with minimal setbacks, this game is simply chef’s kiss lovely.

This aging system is the game’s brilliant twist, forcing you to master the flow of every fight and actually get good by memorizing combos or counter timings, as your recklessness can run the poor MC’s remaining lifespan to the ground.

My Verdict:

Sifu

is truly an incredible fighting game for those who love the counter-and-throw gimmick of Sleeping Dogs but crave something a lot more challenging, a non-open-world experience.

Lost Judgment

Best for Crime Investigation Mechanics and Multi-Style Combat

• Our Score
• ☆
• ★
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• ★
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• Type of game
• Action-Adventure, Beat ’em up, Open-World
• Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series X/S
• Release Year
• Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
• Sega
• Average playtime
• ~ 51 hours
• If you enjoyed the intense, martial arts-focused action of either the
• Yakuza
• series or
• Sleeping Dogs

, this detective spin-off should be right up your alley.

In

Lost Judgment

, you get to play as private detective Takayuki Yagami, and this game gives you incredible access to massive, detailed urban environments where you spend your time balancing investigative work with street brawling.

The story is incredibly heavy, focusing on a dark murder mystery that pulls you into the world of high school bullying and deep-seated corruption.

Why we chose it In

Lost Judgment

, Yagami’s three distinct fighting styles feel just as fluid and satisfying as Wei Shen’s. Plus, unlike in Sleeping Dogs, you don’t need an outfit to use the Drunken Fist style. Here, you just need to unlock some skills and drink alcohol. LOTS of alcohol.

Though even with the more serious themes, the frequent combat encounters keep your adrenaline high and offer good narrative breaks, not to mention all sorts of Yakuza staple minigames and wacky side missions you can get up to.

It’s a best-selling spin-off for a reason, combining the best elements of the Yakuza franchise with superb detective tropes and mechanics, such as disguises, drone surveillance, chasing suspects using parkour, and utilizing stealth to gather evidence.

My Verdict:

Just like

Yakuza 0

,

Lost Judgment

is an outstanding crime action-adventure with exceptional combat. Seriously, you owe it to yourself to check this game and its prequel, Judgment, out.