Crime Games

Crime Games covers every side of life outside the law. Some games put you in the shoes of a burglar, a getaway driver or a mafia debtor; others hand you the badge and ask you to stop them. What they share is the tension that makes the GTA series so gripping: risk, reward and the constant question of whether you will get caught.

Playing the Criminal

Most of this collection lets you break the rules. Crime Simulator is about planning break-ins under a deadline, Payback 2 packs gang fights and chases into short events, and Reckless Getaway 2: Car Chase turns a police pursuit into an endless survival test. I Know a Guy: Shady Life Simulator shows the unglamorous side, where a pizza shop hides a back room full of favors.

Playing the Law

For a change of perspective, two games put you on the other side. Police Chief Simulator makes you responsible for a whole county station, from hiring detectives to closing cases. Airport Contraband makes you a customs officer caught between doing the job and staying on good terms with a cartel.

Something Stranger

• Militsioner: escape a city while a giant policeman watches every move
• Mob City: survive as an outlaw in a noir underworld of rival gangs
• Classic GTA titles: San Andreas, Vice City and GTA 3, where the crime sandbox was born

Choosing Your Game

If you want the open-city feel of Grand Theft Auto, start with the classic GTA titles or Payback 2. If you prefer planning over action, try Crime Simulator or I Know a Guy. And if you have spent years running from the police in other games, Police Chief Simulator and Airport Contraband offer a satisfying role reversal.