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Need for Speed™

59 Games like Need for Speed™ that you should try

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Need for Speed™ is hard to replace: few games combine racing gameplay, open world exploration and melee combat in quite the same way. We analyzed over 2,000 titles across 12 gameplay attributes and found 59 genuine alternatives — not generic genre suggestions. Jet Island, The Darkness II and Carmageddon II: Carpocalypse Now lead the list, with Jet Island reaching a 97/100 similarity score. Every game here is ranked by how closely it replicates what makes Need for Speed™ special.

iRank63/ 100

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GenreActionSubgenreOpen World Action
Tags
MultiplayerSolo
Year 2015Dev Ghost Games

Quick answer

The closest game to Need for Speed™ is Jet Island — scoring 97/100 on our similarity scale. The Darkness II and Carmageddon II: Carpocalypse Now follow close behind.

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Games like Need for Speed™

59 similar games found
97
iRank96
Jet Island
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeOpen WorldExploration
Steam👍 96%· 1.7K
Dev Master IndiePlaytime ~2hOn PC

✓ Fits the open-world action games cluster, with adventure storytelling, deep simulation and racing gameplay

≠ Where it differs: brings sports simulation and vibe casual, while skipping visual third person

97
iRank87
The Darkness II
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeOpen WorldExplorationFirst Person
Steam👍 92%· 21KIGDB77· 11
Year 2012Dev Digital Extremes · 2K GamesOn PlayStation 3 · PC

✓ Fits the open-world action games cluster, with adventure storytelling, open world exploration and melee combat

≠ Its own twist: shooter, first-person shooting and survival mechanics, while skipping racing gameplay

Carmageddon II: Carpocalypse Now
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMultiplayerMeleeOpen WorldExplorationFirst PersonThird Person
Steam👍 88%· 954
Year 1998Dev Stainless Games Ltd. · Interplay EntertainmentOn PC · Mac

✓ Both are open-world action games — sharing racing gameplay, open world exploration and melee combat

≠ Where it differs: brings dark, oppressive atmosphere and post-apocalyptic world, while skipping deep simulation

95
iRank86
Sunset Overdrive
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeOpen WorldExplorationThird Person
Steam👍 90%· 14KIGDB82· 16OC83· 89
Year 2014Dev Insomniac Games · Microsoft StudiosOn PC · Xbox

✓ Both are open-world action games — sharing adventure storytelling, open world exploration and melee combat

≠ Stands apart with shooter, third-person shooting and precision platforming, while skipping racing gameplay

97
iRank77
Serious Sam 4
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeOpen WorldExplorationFirst Person
Steam👍 83%· 17KIGDB72· 9OC68· 105
Year 2020Dev Croteam · Devolver DigitalOn Xbox · Linux · PC

✓ Both are open-world action games — sharing adventure storytelling, open world exploration and melee combat

≠ Where it differs: brings shooter, first-person shooting and dark, oppressive atmosphere, while skipping racing gameplay

Grand Theft Auto 2
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMultiplayerMeleeOpen WorldExplorationTop-Down
Steam👍 92%· 491IGDB70· 1
Year 1999Dev DMA Design · Take-Two InteractiveOn PC

✓ Both are open-world action games — sharing racing gameplay, adventure storytelling and open world exploration

≠ Where it differs: brings shooter, first-person shooting and dark, oppressive atmosphere, while skipping deep simulation

Disney Infinity 2.0: Gold Edition
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMultiplayerMeleeOpen WorldExploration
Steam👍 91%· 474
Year 2016Dev Avalanche Software · Disney InteractivePlaytime ~3hOn PC · PS

✓ Both are open-world action games — sharing adventure storytelling, open world exploration and melee combat

≠ Stands apart with sandbox freedom and sandbox world, while skipping racing gameplay

95
iRank80
Just Cause 3
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeOpen WorldExplorationThird Person
Steam👍 84%· 127KIGDB77· 19OC75· 109
Year 2015Dev Avalanche Studios · Square EnixOn PS4 · PC · Xbox

✓ Same family of open-world action games: adventure storytelling, open world exploration and melee combat

≠ Stands apart with shooter, third-person shooting and first-person shooting, while skipping racing gameplay

95
iRank79
Gears 5
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeOpen WorldExplorationThird Person
Steam👍 71%· 24KIGDB88· 12OC85· 150
Year 2019Dev The Coalition · Xbox Game StudiosOn Xbox · PC

✓ Both are open-world action games — sharing adventure storytelling, open world exploration and melee combat

≠ Its own twist: shooter, third-person shooting and first-person shooting, while skipping racing gameplay

93
iRank85
Crash Time 3
ActionOpen World Action
MultiplayerSoloMeleeOpen WorldExploration
Steam👍 85%· 652
Year 2009Dev Synetic · Kalypso MediaPlaytime ~1hOn PC

✓ Same family of open-world action games: racing gameplay, deep simulation and open world exploration

≠ Its own twist: offline, while skipping adventure storytelling

Grand Theft Auto IV
ActionOpen World Action
MultiplayerSoloCo-opMeleeOpen WorldExplorationThird Person
Steam👍 83%· 195KRAWG👍 96%· 103MC95
Year 2010Dev Rockstar Toronto · Rockstar GamesOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Fits the open-world action games cluster, with adventure storytelling, open world exploration and melee combat

≠ Where it differs: brings third-person shooting, shooter and sandbox freedom, while skipping racing gameplay

Saints Row: The Third
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeOpen WorldExplorationThird Person
Steam👍 96%· 69KIGDB85· 10
Year 2011Dev Volition · Square EnixOn PlayStation 3 · Linux · PC

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

≠ Stands apart with shooter, third-person shooting and sandbox freedom, while skipping deep simulation

Red Faction: Armageddon
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeOpen WorldExplorationThird Person
Steam👍 73%· 5.0KIGDB75· 5
Year 2011Dev Volition · THQOn PlayStation 3 · PC

✓ Same family of open-world action games: adventure storytelling, open world exploration and melee combat

≠ Its own twist: shooter, third-person shooting and first-person shooting, while skipping racing gameplay

Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeOpen WorldExplorationThird Person
Steam👍 67%· 9.4KIGDB69· 7
Year 2010Dev IO Interactive · Square EnixOn PlayStation 3 · PC

✓ Both are open-world action games — sharing adventure storytelling, open world exploration and melee combat

≠ Stands apart with shooter, third-person shooting and first-person shooting, while skipping racing gameplay

LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
ActionOpen World Action
MultiplayerCo-opSoloMeleeOpen WorldExplorationThird Person
Steam👍 95%· 9.1KIGDB70· 3
Year 2011Dev Traveller's Tales · Feral InteractiveOn PlayStation 3 · PC · Mac

✓ Fits the open-world action games cluster, with adventure storytelling, open world exploration and melee combat

≠ Stands apart with precision platforming, setting scifi and fantasy world, while skipping racing gameplay

Games like Need for Speed™

Rankings in the same genre

Frequently asked questions

What is the best game similar to Need for Speed™?
The closest game to Need for Speed™ is Jet Island, scoring 97/100 on our similarity scale. They share 9 gameplay attributes, including adventure storytelling, deep simulation and racing gameplay. It's the most faithful alternative currently available.
What are the top games like Need for Speed™?
The three closest games to Need for Speed™ are: 1. Jet Island (97/100, 9 shared attributes) 2. The Darkness II (97/100, 8 shared attributes) 3. Carmageddon II: Carpocalypse Now (95/100, 8 shared attributes). All share Need for Speed™'s most important gameplay attributes, ranked out of 59 candidates across 12 dimensions.
Is The Darkness II similar to Need for Speed™?
Yes, very much so — The Darkness II scores 97/100 similarity to Need for Speed™. They share 8 attributes, including adventure storytelling and single-player focus. It's one of the most direct alternatives available.
What Racing games are similar to Need for Speed™?
The best Racing games similar to Need for Speed™ are Jet Island, Carmageddon II: Carpocalypse Now, Grand Theft Auto 2 and Crash Time 3. All share the Racing genre alongside other key Need for Speed™ attributes like adventure storytelling, deep simulation and racing gameplay.
How is similarity to Need for Speed™ calculated?
We compare Need for Speed™ against every game in our catalog using 12 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™ experience, not just whether it shares the same genre label.