NextGameLike
Need for Speed™

38 Games like Need for Speed™ on Xbox that you should try

Games like Need for Speed™ · Find similar →

We filtered the 50 games similar to Need for Speed™ down to the 38 that fit the “Xbox” category. Trailmakers, Descenders and RAGE top the list, ranked by affinity and similarity score to Need for Speed™.

NextGameLike63/ 100

Did you find what you were looking for?

GenreActionSubgenreOpen World Action
Tags
MultiplayerSolo
Year 2015Dev Ghost Games

Quick answer

Within the “Xbox” category, the closest game to Need for Speed™ is Trailmakers — scoring 80/100 on our similarity scale. Descenders and RAGE follow close behind.

🗳️

Help us build the best rankings

Community powered

Vote on each result below — good match or not. Every vote directly shapes how we rank similar games for everyone.

The best games like Need for Speed™ on Xbox

38 similar games foundUpdated May 2026

Handpicked by our similarity algorithm, these are the titles with the highest gameplay match to Need for Speed™. Each one has been evaluated across 12 real attributes — from combat style and progression mechanics to world structure and visual perspective — so every recommendation is based on how the game actually plays, not just its genre label.

1

Trailmakers

80
NGL77
Trailmakers
Closest overall match
ActionOpen World Action
Co-opSoloMultiplayerMeleeOpen WorldExploration
Year 2020Dev FlashbulbPlaytime ~3hOn PC · PS · Xbox

On paper it is what Need for Speed™ is — open world exploration, melee combat and co-op play — though the resemblance is mostly at that level. To that it adds exploration and discovery. They part company on progression and world: this one brings a sandbox world and crafting mechanics.

Released 5 years after Need for Speed™.

Genre100Combat100Game mode71World60Progression54
2

Descenders

75
NGL77
Descenders
Closest on game mode
ActionOpen World Action
MultiplayerSoloCo-opMeleeOpen WorldExplorationThird Person
Year 2019Dev RageSquid · No More RobotsPlaytime ~2hOn PC · PS · Xbox

If Need for Speed™ worked for you because of open world exploration, melee combat and multiplayer gameplay, the same is here. The common ground extends to exploration and discovery, and a third-person camera. Where the two diverge is world and visuals: procedural generation.

Released 4 years after Need for Speed™.

Genre100Combat100Game mode100Progression100Visuals57World53
3

RAGE

75
NGL72
RAGE
Closest on world
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeOpen WorldExplorationFirst PersonThird Person
Year 2011Dev Aspyr Media · Bethesda SoftworksPlaytime ~5hOn PC · PS · Xbox

If Need for Speed™ worked for you because of open world exploration, melee combat and single-player focus, the same is here. The common ground extends to exploration and discovery, and a third-person camera. Where the two diverge is combat: ranged combat.

Genre100Game mode100World100Progression100Visuals83Combat44
4

Need for Speed: Rivals

74
NGL78
Need for Speed: Rivals
Closest on visuals
ActionOpen World Action
MultiplayerSoloCo-opMeleeOpen WorldExplorationFirst PersonThird Person
Year 2013Dev Ghost Games · Electronic ArtsOn PlayStation 3 · PS4 · PC

It shares the essentials of what Need for Speed™ does: open world exploration, melee combat and multiplayer gameplay. To that it adds exploration and discovery, and a third-person camera. They part company on game mode: this one brings PvP competition.

Same studio: Ghost Games.

Genre100Combat100World100Progression100Visuals84Game mode53
5

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

74
NGL93
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
ActionOpen World Action
SoloCo-opMultiplayerMeleeOpen WorldExplorationThird PersonFirst Person
Year 2004Dev Rockstar North · CapcomPlaytime ~2hOn PC · PS · Xbox

With Need for Speed™ it shares open world exploration, melee combat and single-player focus. To that it adds exploration and discovery, and a third-person camera. They part company on combat: this one brings stealth mechanics.

It predates Need for Speed™ by 11 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Game mode100Progression100Visuals83World81Combat42
Details →1/1 agree it's a good match
6

Mafia III

67
NGL61
Mafia III
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMultiplayerMeleeOpen WorldExplorationThird Person
Year 2016Dev Hangar 13 · 2K GamesOn PS4 · PC · Mac

It meets Need for Speed™ on open world exploration, melee combat and single-player focus. Both also lean on exploration and discovery, and a third-person camera. The distance is in visuals — its own ground is shooting mechanics and strong narrative focus.

Genre100Progression100World88Game mode83Combat70Visuals59
7

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

66
NGL93
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMultiplayerMeleeOpen WorldExplorationThird Person
Year 2002Dev Rockstar North · Rockstar GamesPlaytime ~2hOn PC · PS · Xbox

Shelved next to Need for Speed™ for good reason: open world exploration, melee combat and single-player focus. To that it adds exploration and discovery, and a third-person camera. They part company on visuals and world: this one brings a sandbox world.

It predates Need for Speed™ by 13 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Progression100Game mode82Combat73World66Visuals59
8

Just Cause 2

66
NGL82
Just Cause 2
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMultiplayerMeleeOpen WorldExplorationThird Person
Year 2010Dev Square EnixPlaytime ~3hOn PC · PS · Xbox

On paper it is what Need for Speed™ is — open world exploration, melee combat and single-player focus — though the resemblance is mostly at that level. To that it adds exploration and discovery, and a third-person camera. They part company on visuals and world: this one brings a sandbox world and ranged combat.

Genre100Progression100Game mode85Combat67World66Visuals59
9

Serious Sam 4

66
NGL77
Serious Sam 4
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeOpen WorldExplorationFirst Person
Year 2020Dev Croteam · Devolver DigitalOn Xbox · Linux · PC

It shares the essentials of what Need for Speed™ does: open world exploration, melee combat and single-player focus. To that it adds exploration and discovery, and a first-person view. They part company on visuals: this one brings shooting mechanics and dark, oppressive atmosphere.

Released 5 years after Need for Speed™.

Genre100Combat100Game mode100World100Progression100Visuals59
10

Lost Planet 3

66
NGL61
Lost Planet 3
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeOpen WorldExplorationThird Person
Year 2013Dev Spark Unlimited · CapcomOn PlayStation 3 · PC · Xbox

If Need for Speed™ worked for you because of open world exploration, melee combat and single-player focus, the same is here. The common ground extends to exploration and discovery, and a third-person camera. Where the two diverge is visuals: shooting mechanics and strong narrative focus.

Genre100Combat100Game mode100World100Progression100Visuals59
11

Sunset Overdrive

65
NGL86
Sunset Overdrive
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeOpen WorldExplorationThird Person
Year 2014Dev Insomniac Games · Microsoft StudiosOn PC · Xbox

On paper it is what Need for Speed™ is — open world exploration, melee combat and single-player focus — though the resemblance is mostly at that level. The common ground extends to exploration and discovery, and a third-person camera. Where the two diverge is progression and visuals: skill tree progression.

Genre100Combat100Game mode100World86Visuals59Progression45
12

Just Cause 3

65
NGL80
Just Cause 3
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeOpen WorldExplorationThird Person
Year 2015Dev Avalanche Studios · Square EnixOn PS4 · PC · Xbox

It shares the essentials of what Need for Speed™ does: open world exploration, melee combat and single-player focus. The common ground extends to exploration and discovery, and a third-person camera. Where the two diverge is visuals: shooting mechanics and strong narrative focus.

Genre100Combat100Game mode100Progression100World74Visuals59
13

Gears 5

64
NGL79
Gears 5
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeOpen WorldExplorationThird Person
Year 2019Dev The Coalition · Xbox Game StudiosOn Xbox · PC

If Need for Speed™ worked for you because of open world exploration, melee combat and single-player focus, the same is here. Both also lean on exploration and discovery, and a third-person camera. The distance is in visuals — its own ground is shooting mechanics and dark, oppressive atmosphere.

Released 4 years after Need for Speed™.

Genre100Combat100World100Progression100Game mode89Visuals59
14

Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell

64
NGL70
Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeOpen WorldExplorationThird Person
Year 2015Dev High Voltage Software · Deep SilverOn PlayStation 3 · PS4 · Linux

If Need for Speed™ worked for you because of open world exploration, melee combat and single-player focus, the same is here. The common ground extends to exploration and discovery, and a third-person camera. Where the two diverge is visuals: shooting mechanics and dark, oppressive atmosphere.

Genre100Combat100Progression100Game mode90World78Visuals59
15

Saints Row

64
NGL60
Saints Row
ActionOpen World Action
Co-opSoloMultiplayerMeleeOpen WorldExplorationThird Person
Year 2022Dev Volition · Deep SilverOn Xbox · PS4 · PC

It comes from the same genre as Need for Speed™ and shares open world exploration, melee combat and co-op play. To that it adds exploration and discovery, and a third-person camera. They part company on progression and visuals: this one brings a sandbox world and skill tree progression.

Released 7 years after Need for Speed™.

Genre100Combat100Game mode100World62Visuals59Progression53

More similar-games lists to keep going

Found one on the list you already love? Open its own list: the games that play most like it, ranked, with the reason for each.

Explore games similar to Need for Speed™ by category

If Need for Speed™ left you wanting more, this is where you narrow it down. Was it the racing or the simulation that hooked you? There is a list of just that. And if you play on Nintendo Switch, PS5, PlayStation, Xbox and Mobile, filter by platform and skip the games you could not play anyway.

Rankings in the same genre

Sometimes what you want is not a Need for Speed™ look-alike but simply the best Open-World Action Games there are. That is what these rankings are for: no comparison to anything, just the highest-rated games. And if you feel like widening the net, the Action Games ranking is a good way to run into something you were not expecting.