Saints Row is a series of open world action-adventure video games created by Volition and published by Deep Silver, that tells the story of a gang called the Third Street Saints; the title comes from the name of the district of the gang's home territory. Typically, gameplay is presented in an open world format because of the mixture of nonlinear gameplay with action-adventure and racing sequences. The series is known for its comedic elements. The games' stories are written as comedies that feature popular culture homages and parodies, as well as self-referential humor.