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Need for Speed™ Heat

56 Games like Need for Speed™ Heat that you should try

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Need for Speed™ Heat is hard to replace: few games combine sports simulation, strong narrative focus and open world exploration in quite the same way. We analyzed over 2,000 titles across 16 gameplay attributes and found 56 genuine alternatives — not generic genre suggestions. Forza Horizon 3, Split/Second and BallisticNG lead the list, with Forza Horizon 3 reaching a 95/100 similarity score. Every game here is ranked by how closely it replicates what makes Need for Speed™ Heat special.

iRank70/ 100

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GenreSportsSubgenreRacingSub-subgenreArcade Racing
Tags
NarrativeMultiplayerSolo
Year 2019Dev Ghost Games

Quick answer

The closest game to Need for Speed™ Heat is Forza Horizon 3 — scoring 95/100 on our similarity scale. Split/Second and BallisticNG follow close behind.

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Games like Need for Speed™ Heat

56 similar games found
95
iRank90
Forza Horizon 3
SportsRacingArcade Racing
SoloMultiplayerCo-opOpen WorldExplorationFirst PersonThird Person
IGDB89· 26OC91· 130
Year 2016Dev Playground Games · Microsoft StudiosOn PC · Xbox

✓ Nearly identical: racing gameplay, open world exploration and single-player focus.

≠ Missing: sports simulation.

96
iRank81
Split/Second
SportsRacingArcade Racing
OfflineSoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeThird Person
Steam👍 81%· 2.5KIGDB82· 5
Year 2010Dev Black Rock Studios · Disney Interactive StudiosOn PlayStation 3 · PC · iOS

✓ Nearly identical: racing gameplay, melee combat and offline.

≠ Missing: sports simulation.

95
iRank86
BallisticNG
SportsRacingArcade Racing
OfflineSoloMultiplayerMeleeNarrativeThird PersonFirst Person
Steam👍 94%· 3.7KRAWG👍 73%· 26
Year 2016Dev NeognosisPlaytime ~1hOn PC · Apple Macintosh

✓ Both are arcade racing games — sharing racing gameplay, strong narrative focus and melee combat

≠ Stands apart with setting scifi, while skipping sports simulation

FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage
SportsRacingArcade Racing
MultiplayerOfflineSoloMeleeFirst PersonThird Person
Steam👍 90%· 7.5KIGDB80· 3
Year 2007Dev Bugbear Entertainment · Empire InteractiveOn PC

✓ Nearly identical: racing gameplay, melee combat and multiplayer gameplay.

≠ Missing: sports simulation.

94
iRank89
Mario Kart World
SportsRacingArcade Racing
OfflineSoloMultiplayerOpen WorldExplorationThird Person
IGDB92· 4OC87· 146
Year 2025Dev Nintendo EPD Production Group No. 9 · NintendoOn Switch

✓ Same family of arcade racing games: racing gameplay, adventure storytelling and open world exploration

≠ Its own twist: fantasy world, while skipping sports simulation

Team Sonic Racing
SportsRacingArcade Racing
OfflineSoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeThird Person
Steam👍 73%· 3.5KIGDB71· 9OC74· 122
Year 2019Dev Sumo Digital · SegaOn PS4 · PC · Xbox

✓ Fits the arcade racing games cluster, with racing gameplay, melee combat and offline

≠ Where it differs: brings setting scifi, while skipping sports simulation

Star Wars: Episode I - Racer
SportsRacingArcade Racing
SoloMultiplayerOfflineMeleeFirst PersonThird Person
Steam👍 87%· 2.3KIGDB70· 2OC69· 28
Year 1999Dev LucasArts · Aspyr MediaOn PS4 · PC · Mac

✓ Same family of arcade racing games: racing gameplay, melee combat and single-player focus

≠ Where it differs: brings setting scifi, while skipping sports simulation

Midnight Club: Los Angeles
SportsRacingArcade Racing
OfflineSoloMultiplayerOpen WorldExplorationFirst PersonThird Person
IGDB80· 6
Year 2008Dev Rockstar London · Rockstar GamesOn PlayStation 3

✓ Nearly identical: racing gameplay, open world exploration and offline.

≠ Missing: sports simulation.

Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing
SportsRacingArcade Racing
OfflineSoloMultiplayerMeleeThird Person
Steam👍 87%· 3.4KRAWG👍 73%· 144MC65IGDB76· 3
Year 2010Dev Sumo Digital · SEGAPlaytime ~1hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Fits the arcade racing games cluster, with racing gameplay, melee combat and offline

≠ Where it differs: brings visual 3d, while skipping sports simulation

91
iRank91
Re-Volt
SportsRacingArcade Racing
SoloMultiplayerOfflinePvPThird Person
Steam👍 91%· 1.4K
Year 1999Dev Acclaim Studios London · Acclaim EntertainmentOn Android · PC · iOS

✓ Fits the arcade racing games cluster, with sports simulation, racing gameplay and single-player focus

≠ Its own twist: visual 3d, while skipping adventure storytelling

92
iRank86
Rocket League®
SportsRacingArcade Racing
MultiplayerOfflineSoloCo-opPvPOnlineMeleeThird Person
Steam👍 88%· 579KRAWG👍 79%· 2.9KMC86IGDB89· 17OC87· 111
Year 2015Dev PsyonixPlaytime ~21hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Fits the arcade racing games cluster, with sports simulation, racing gameplay and melee combat

≠ Where it differs: brings competitive edge, vibe casual and setting scifi, while skipping adventure storytelling

94
iRank78
Dirt Showdown
SportsRacingArcade Racing
MultiplayerSoloOfflineMeleeFirst PersonThird Person
Steam👍 80%· 3.8KIGDB75· 10
Year 2012Dev Codemasters Southam · Virtual ProgrammingOn PlayStation 3 · Linux · PC

✓ Nearly identical: sports simulation, racing gameplay and melee combat.

≠ Missing: adventure storytelling.

Test Drive Unlimited
SportsRacingArcade Racing
SoloMultiplayerOnlineOpen WorldExploration
IGDB81· 6
Year 2006Dev Eden Games · Atari, Inc.On PC

✓ Both are arcade racing games — sharing racing gameplay, open world exploration and single-player focus

≠ Its own twist: sandbox freedom and sandbox world, while skipping sports simulation

Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition
SportsRacingArcade Racing
OfflineSoloMultiplayerOpen WorldExploration
IGDB75· 5
Year 2005Dev Rockstar San Diego · Rockstar Games

✓ Nearly identical: racing gameplay, open world exploration and offline.

≠ Missing: sports simulation.

Need for Speed™ Unbound
SportsRacingArcade Racing
MultiplayerSoloCo-opOnlineMeleeOpen WorldExplorationSkill Tree
Steam👍 60%· 58KRAWG👍 57%· 145OC75· 116
Year 2022Dev Criterion Games · Electronic ArtsPlaytime ~5hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Nearly identical: racing gameplay, open world exploration and melee combat.

≠ Missing: sports simulation.

Games like Need for Speed™ Heat

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Frequently asked questions

What is the best game similar to Need for Speed™ Heat?
The closest game to Need for Speed™ Heat is Forza Horizon 3, scoring 95/100 on our similarity scale. They share 8 gameplay attributes, including racing gameplay, single-player focus and multiplayer gameplay. It's the most faithful alternative currently available.
What are the top games like Need for Speed™ Heat?
The three closest games to Need for Speed™ Heat are: 1. Forza Horizon 3 (95/100, 8 shared attributes) 2. Split/Second (96/100, 7 shared attributes) 3. BallisticNG (95/100, 8 shared attributes). All share Need for Speed™ Heat's most important gameplay attributes, ranked out of 56 candidates across 16 dimensions.
Is Split/Second similar to Need for Speed™ Heat?
Yes, very much so — Split/Second scores 96/100 similarity to Need for Speed™ Heat. They share 7 attributes, including racing gameplay and offline. It's one of the most direct alternatives available.
What Sports games are similar to Need for Speed™ Heat?
The best Sports games similar to Need for Speed™ Heat are Re-Volt, Rocket League®, Dirt Showdown and Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed Collection. All share the Sports genre alongside other key Need for Speed™ Heat attributes like racing gameplay, single-player focus and multiplayer gameplay.
How is similarity to Need for Speed™ Heat calculated?
We compare Need for Speed™ Heat against every game in our catalog using 16 gameplay attributes: genre, atmosphere, world structure, play modes, combat style, and more. Each category is weighted differently — genre matters more than visual style, for instance. The result is a 0-100 score reflecting how closely a game replicates the Need for Speed™ Heat experience, not just whether it shares the same genre label.