10 Best Crime Games on PC

Crime games have always hit different. There’s just something about planning a heist, chasing cash, or taking over a city. So here’s a list packed with action, choices, and pure chaos. Each one brings something wild to the table. If you’re into the best crime games on PC, you’re in for a ride.

What Defines the Best Crime Games?

A great crime game needs more than just guns and getaways. For this list, I looked at how deep the criminal world feels, how much freedom the game gives, and how fun the missions are. Games with strong stories, smart mechanics, and choices that matter made the cut. I also paid attention to how detailed the world is, what kind of side activities are offered, and how real the crime systems feel. Every game here does at least a few of these things really well.

List of 10 Best Crime Games on PC

Every title below has its own style. No two games play the same, but all of them bring strong crime vibes and serious fun.

10. Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition

In Sleeping Dogs, the main guy works as an undercover cop while living like a gangster. He fights using martial arts, drives cars, and takes down gangs while hiding his real identity. Missions mix street fights, chasing cars, and sneaking into gang meetings. Most of the action happens in the city, where people go about their day while you handle both crime and police work. You punch, kick, grab objects, and throw enemies into things around you. What makes it different is the fighting system, which uses hands more than guns. You also explore small markets, ride motorcycles, and talk to gang leaders while pretending to be one of them. The police vs. gang life balance makes it one of the best crime games on PC.

9. Drug Dealer Simulator

Drug Dealer Simulator puts you in the role of someone starting small in a shady neighborhood, trying to grow a drug business from scratch. The game begins with selling a few packages to nearby clients and slowly builds into managing a full operation. You measure the product, pack it, and move it across different areas while tracking your growing customer list. You’ll sneak through alleys, arrange deals through risky chats, and make sure each handoff goes smoothly without attracting attention. It’s less about action and more about the business side of crime. As far as the best crime simulation games on PC go, this one digs deep into the underground hustle.

8. Back to the Dawn

It is not a traditional crime sim where you play as a criminal out on the streets. Prison life in Back to the Dawn is built around more than just surviving fights or sneaking past guards. The story follows either a reporter or an undercover agent, both locked inside a massive prison filled with secrets. You explore the facility, talk to inmates, build trust, and uncover hidden conspiracies. Each person you meet might help or block your escape, depending on how you treat them. Three powerful gangs run the prison, and choosing how to deal with them changes your path. There are several ways to escape, and every decision shifts the direction of your story. Conversations, decisions, and friendships shape everything.

7. PAYDAY 2

Planning heists and pulling them off with friends never gets old. You put on the mask, gear up with weapons, and jump into missions that involve stealing cash, escaping the police, or cracking high-security safes. Each round plays out differently depending on your loadout and the team you bring. Whether it’s a silent break-in or a loud shootout, there’s a thrill at every stage. The wide variety of gear and custom loadouts keeps the action interesting. It’s one of the best PC crime games that never feels outdated. So, if you enjoy strategy mixed with chaos, this one delivers hard.

6. Thief Simulator 2

Thief Simulator 2 is a crime simulation game where the main goal is to break into houses and steal valuable items without getting caught. Each house has a different layout, and every job needs a plan. Before robbing, it’s smart to scout the area, learn the routine of people inside, and pick the right tools for the job. Locks, safes, and alarms come in different types, and players can choose how to deal with them. Selling stolen items earns money, which can be used to upgrade tools or buy new gear. This is one of the best crime simulation games on PC because it offers total freedom to think, plan, and pull off robberies without pushing players into just one way of doing things.

5. L.A. Noire

Rockstar is known and every game they release brings something unique to the table with strong stories and interesting characters. It’s been more than a decade since the release of L.A. Noire, still the game stands out because it puts you in the shoes of a detective solving crimes using real investigation work. Instead of just shooting or driving, the main focus is on visiting crime scenes, picking up clues, and asking suspects questions. Every case is like a small mystery where you collect evidence, match it with what people say, and decide who is lying. It feels like solving a puzzle using logic.

4. Crime Scene Cleaner

Crime Scene Cleaner is about working for mob clients who hire you to clean up their crime scenes. Each mission sends you to a new location where there’s blood on the floor, bodies lying around, and all sorts of mess left behind. Your job is to remove every trace using gear like mops, sponges, powerwashers, and odor removers. Some places need special tools, so before starting a job, you upgrade your equipment to match what the mission demands. Every mission connects back to your main goal: earning enough to help your sick daughter.

3. Schedule I

Schedule I has quickly become one of the most talked about and best PC crime games on Steam. The game drops you into the shady world of street dealing with a colorful cartoon style that hides how serious the gameplay gets. Players run a drug business in a city called Hyland Point, where they produce, mix, and sell illegal substances. Each type of drug has its own recipe and setup process, and players can even create new mixtures with strange effects. Co-op mode brings more chaos, with friends managing different parts of the business together.

2. Mafia: Definitive Edition

Then we have Mafia: Definitive Edition, a story-based crime game set in a 1930s American city. It starts with a simple taxi driver who slowly gets involved with a powerful mafia family. Missions include driving through the city, delivering messages, taking out targets, protecting allies, and escaping the police. The city looks and feels alive, filled with old cars, vintage buildings, and people going about their day. Each chapter tells a different part of the story, and players get clear instructions to complete every task. The missions are linear, which means each one follows a fixed path from start to finish. As one of the best crime games on PC, it delivers a full crime movie experience with strong characters and a detailed story.

1. Grand Theft Auto V

You might have already guessed the top spot, and it’s all because of the freedom it offers in every part of the gameplay. Grand Theft Auto V lets players take control of three different characters living in a large open city. Each of them has a unique lifestyle and personality. The game gives full control to explore the city, drive cars, take on missions, or just relax with fun side activities. There’s no fixed path to follow, so everyone can play their own way. It mixes story, action, driving, and adventure all together. So, it’s without a doubt one of the best crime games on PC because it gives so many ways to play your own way.