Best Sonic Fan Games

Once upon a time, tech-savvy kids could code their own games, sell them to publishers, and enter the computer world that way. ‘Bedroom coders’ became a fad, especially in places where microcomputers like the Commodore 64 were big. Nowadays, they tend to get into software development in more typical, boring ways. But they haven’t gone away. If they’re not making indie games, they’re experimenting with ROM hacks and fan games.

Not every company is happy to see their IPs fiddled with like this, yet some tacitly tolerate it. For example, there have been a range of Sonic the Hedgehog fan games and ROM hack competitions that have run for years, even decades, without Sega calling foul on them thus far. In some cases, they may have helped their collaborators get work at the Blue Blur’s company. Here are some of the best Sonic fan games that can be found on the net.

Updated October 1, 2024 by David Heath: The Sonic Hacking Contest has been judging Sonic the Hedgehog romhacks and fangames for 22 years now, and its 22nd contest is getting closer. The official entrants have been listed, and voting is open until October 6th. They even include mods for some of the entries in this list, like FgThRngd adding Pac-Man and the Ghost Gang to Sonic 3: Angel Island Revisited.

Time will tell who’ll win, but it’s ripe time to list more top Sonic fan games for people to check out. So, this list has received a few new entries that have received high praise from the fan community, including some prior SHC contest winners. From 2D racing fun to intriguing experimental 3D efforts, there’s plenty on offer here for everyone.

1 Hellfire Saga

Sonic Takes On Ghouls N’ Ghosts

• Creator: Red Miso Studios.
• Based On:Sonic 1-3 & Knuckles, Castlevania, Ghouls N’ Ghosts, Demon’s Crest, Kid Chameleon, Splatterhouse, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Sparkster, Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse, Ghost Sweeper Mikami, Omori, Gaiares, Contra: Hard Corps, The Adventures of Batman & Robin.

With that list of bases, it’s no wonder Sonic Hellfire Saga took five years to fully complete. It’s been worth it, as its development won its members multiple awards at the Sonic Hacking Contest over the years, coming 2nd in the 2019 and 2021 contests, before getting the top prize at the 2023 contest. That’s not to mention its multiple community prizes and honorable mentions.

Inspired primarily by Castlevania and Ghouls N’ Ghosts, Sonic sees himself trapped in the underworld, where he must contend with its demonic denizens to find a way out. Given its inspirations, it’s not the easiest hack out there, as it offers some particularly challenging boss fights. Luckily, it does come with difficulty settings, from Assist (for players who want mercy) to Maniac (for masochists). It’s pretty much the perfect Sonic fan game for players who want to get into the Halloween spirit.

2 Sonic Frenzy Adventure

A Blast from Fan Games’ Past

• Creator: BlueFrenzy.
• Based On: Sonic 1-3 & Knuckles, Sonic Advance, Sonic Adventure 1-2.

Sonic Frenzy Adventure is an interesting one, as work began on it way back in 2004. According to BlueFrenzy, they planned a big 2D adventure involving Sonic and his friends stopping a possessed Egg Robo from creating their own mechanical empire. But the project’s scope proved to be beyond their reach, and they had to focus on making a living instead. Its remaining data was thought lost when the hard drive containing it went kaput. However, it was about fifteen years later that BlueFrenzy found a pendrive containing a backup.

With more time on their hands thanks to the pandemic, they streamlined what they had leftover to produce a fun combo of classic Sonic action with additions from the Advance and Adventure games. It has five characters, each with their abilities, alongside six shields and plenty of hidden collectibles, including Chao Eggs for players to raise their own Chao. While not as sophisticated as later Sonic fan games, it’s an impressive display of skill with a lot to offer players.

3 Sonic Vs Darkness: True Nightmare Revived

Rushing Into the Void

• Creator: Nefault1st.
• Based On: Sonic Rush, Sonic Advance, Sonic Unleashed, Super Smash Bros Melee.

Like Sonic Frenzy Adventure, Sonic Vs Darkness: True Nightmare Revived is also a revival of an old project. Except this time, it was a game-ification of Nefault1st’s own YouTube animated series. Here, Sonic and Shadow must collect the Chaos Emeralds before Dr. Eggman can use them for “Project Erubis,” which plans to coat the world in eternal darkness (without being Eternal Darkness).

Related

10 Best Sonic Handheld Games, Ranked

Many fans of Sonic have their favorite games from the franchise decided already, but these ten handheld entries should be considered the best.

The game uses Sonic Advance sprites, but goes for Sonic Rush-style gameplay, complete with a Sonic Unleashed-style boost meter where the hedgehogs have to keep up their rings, or chain tricks together, to keep the meter topped up. The more meter energy they have, the more they can boost through its levels. The game even comes with customizable skills, an online multiplayer mode, and an original soundtrack. Sadly, the current build is more of a demo, with just a few levels and acts, but what’s there is a highly polished Sonic Rush experience that’s worth playing.

4 Sonic Triple Trouble 16-Bit

A Classic Game Gear Game Gets the Genesis Treatment

• Creator: Noah N. Copeland.
• Based On: Sonic 3 & Knuckles, Sonic Triple Trouble.

The biggest additions to Sonic Origins Plus were the 12 Game Gear titles, many of which had previously appeared in older collections. As neat as they are, they don’t look great blown up from their Game Gear aspect ratio. Savvy players can at least find the Master System releases of 8-bit Sonic 1, 2, and Sonic Chaos to avoid the screen crunch. But the best of the bunch, Sonic Triple Trouble, was a Game Gear exclusive and doesn’t have an alternative port.

So Noah N. Copeland made his own with 16-bit graphics and new controls. In Sonic Triple Trouble 16-Bit, Sonic can now do Sonic Mania‘s Drop Dash alongside Triple Trouble‘s Strike Dash. He can use the Elemental Shields from Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and he can tag out to Tails (who can swim and fly). Knuckles, Fang the Sniper, Amy Rose, and Metal Sonic can also be unlocked as playable characters too, so there’s plenty for players to sink their teeth into.

Sonic’s Rogue Robot Takes the Spotlight

• Creator: Lone Devil.
• Based On: Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

Players have to beat Sonic Triple Trouble 16-bit once as Sonic and Tails to unlock Knuckles, then beat it as Knuckles to play as the Blue Blur’s metallic menace. But if they want him in his own game, Lone Devil reworked the original Genesis Sonic the Hedgehog 2 into Metal Sonic Rebooted. In it, Metal Sonic has to prove he’s not obsolete to Dr. Eggman by destroying his new badniks and collecting the Chaos Emeralds before them.

Metal Sonic comes with some special abilities. For five rings, he can blast ahead with the Overdrive Attack, or shoot diagonally in midair with the Diagonal Aerial Dash. The vertical equivalent, which can be used to find new shortcuts or level areas, requires 10 rings. He can also go into Overclocked Mode with 200 Rings, where he’s faster and invincible, but it drains his rings faster than Super mode and doesn’t work underwater. As a plus, he can’t drown, so that’s one advantage over the walking pincushion.

6 Sonic Time Twisted

The Blue Blur Goes Back To The Future

• Creator: Overbound Game Studio.
• Based On: Sonic CD, Sonic 3 & Knuckles.

Sonic Time Twisted began development in 2005, tweaked by multiple hands, each overseen by Overbound Game Studio until it was officially released in 2017. The game combines elements from Sonic CD and the Genesis games, as Sonic and friends have to collect the Chaos Emeralds and the Time Stones to stop Metal Sonic. Players can pick Sonic, Tails, or Knuckles to explore the Past and Future versions of eight zones.

Players can use Sonic 3‘s Elemental Shields, alongside three new ones that let Sonic fly (Wind), resist spikes (Rock), and freeze badniks (Ice). They might need them, as they have to time travel via posts a la Sonic CD and find the Special Stage rings in both the Past and Future to get the Emeralds and Stones. They both involve beating Metal Sonic in a race, with the Past ones resembling his boss fight in Sonic CD, and the Future ones being like Sonic 2‘s special stages. They all have to be beaten to access the true final zone. So, no pressure.

7 Sonic World DX

A Glowing Tribute To 3D Sonic Games

• Creators: WizGenesis, Deefor, Shahars71, Sgt Gerbil, Chaos, Nibroc.Rock, Nikau, Mark, Brandon506042, Jalex777, Waise, Cii.
• Based On: Sonic Adventure 1 & 2, Sonic Heroes, Sonic ’06, Sonic Mania.

There aren’t many 3D fan games out there, since they require beefier hardware and programming skills. After all, it’s taken a total of 14 people a whole decade to whip Sonic World DX into shape across its multiple revisions. This fan game has 40+ playable characters and 50+ stages featuring a variety of missions, from the standard race to the goal to time attack races and treasure hunting. There’s even a Chao Garden for fans who miss the virtual pet simulator mode.

It’s essentially the ultimate edition of Sonic Adventure, with everyone from the first two Adventure games, Sonic Heroes, Sonic ’06, and Sonic Mania, as playable characters. It even has a few deep dives, like Sonic the Fighters‘ Bark the Polar Bear, Shade the Echidna from Sonic Chronicles, and Tiara from the canceled Sonic Xtreme game. All ten releases can be found on the Sonic World DX website. They’re now on Release 9, and working on Release 10, but they still recommend using Release 8 for stability.

8 Sonic Smackdown

The Ultimate Sonic Fighting Game

• Creator: ArcForged.
• Based On: Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3.

Aside from Sonic the Fighters, Sonic Battle, and the Hedgehog’s appearances in the Super Smash Bros games, Sonic and Co haven’t dabbled in fighting games much. Luckily, fans of both Sonic and fighters have the best of both worlds in ArcForged’s Sonic Smackdown. The game has Sonic, his friends, and his enemies brawling it out in one-on-one fights.

Inspired by Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3, it has fast & frenetic gameplay that’s big on combos, aerial moves, and offers five levels of super meter to play with. Players can get to grips with the controls via its Entertainment Mode, tackle its arcade ladder in Classic Mode, or take on their friends in Versus Mode either locally or online via Parsec. For a free fangame, it stands way above Sonic’s official fighters.

9 Sonic Overture ’95

A Remake Of Sonic’s Primordial Form

• Creators: Pixy-Pie, Additional Trees, LakeFeperd.
• Based On: Sonic the Hedgehog pre-release demo, Sega Saturn games.

This spot originally went to Sonic Utopia, an inventive open-world take on classic Sonic games that, with work, could’ve become the definitive fan game equivalent to Sonic Frontiers. But its creator came under scrutiny for racism and abuse of other fan game developers. The worst of it was when he took over the Sonic: From the Beginning project and made it into Sonic Overture, where his behavior gradually led to its cancellation.

However, it’s since come back with a fresh set of developers, levels, and assets as Sonic Overture ’95. It’s a prequel to Sonic 1 based on its pre-release demo, as Sonic takes on the old prototype enemies in new zones on Christmas Island. The game uses some of its pre-planned mechanics, like walking on giant balls to get past obstacles while using some new features to produce 3D-style bosses. It currently only has 2 playable zones, but it’s nice to see a project that deserves better treatment get a revival.

10 Sonic Project Hero

Running, Leaping, And Racing In The Wide Open World

• Creator: Hero.
• Based On: Sonic 1-3 & Knuckles, Sonic Adventure.

People who’d prefer another 3D open-world Sonic game will find a good alternative in Sonic Project Hero. The game popped up in 2019, and received plenty of updates, but has since been on indefinite hiatus since 2023. It uses enemies, power-ups, music, and more from its official counterparts. However, it also has a few unique features of its own, like more playable characters.

Sonic is there as usual with his running, jumping, and Elemental Shields. Then Tails returns, with Sonic Adventure-style flight and Sonic 06-style bomb attacks (sans pointless dummy rings). Finally, there’s Knuckles, who can glide and beat up enemies directly with his fists. By default, it has just one, Green Hill-style test level to test the silky smooth physics with, but it is possible to mod in levels from other games like Sonic Unleashed to really test its mettle.

11 Sonic P-06

Righting An Old Wrong

• Creator: Ian ‘ChaosX’ Moris.
• Based On: Sonic ’06.

The 2006 Sonic the Hedgehog on the PS3 and Xbox 360, or Sonic ’06 for short, is notoriously bad. The wonky physics, glitches, glacial load times, and woeful storytelling all came together to produce Sonic’s nadir as a mascot. Many of its problems were due to its chaotic development, where its staff were either gradually divided off into other projects like Sonic and the Secret Rings, or left the company altogether like the now-infamous Yuji Naka.

Still, there was a chance it could’ve been good, judging by Sonic the Hedgehog: Project 2006, or Sonic P-06 for short. Since 2019, ChaosX has been rebuilding the game level by level within the Unity Engine, and it plays like a dream. All the characters are faster and more responsive, with more detailed graphics, heavily reduced load times, and new gameplay features like Super Sonic. The game now has all the main campaign levels, complete with bug fixes and other tweaks, as of its most recent update in November 2023.

12 Sonic The Hedgehog Megamix

One Of The Predecessors To Sonic Mania

• Creator: Team Megamix.
• Based On: Sonic 1–2, Sonic CD, Knuckles Chaotix, Sonic Adventure 2.

Making fan games isn’t a surefire way to get hired by one big company or another. However, it’s one way to make an interesting resumé. Before Simon ‘Stealth’ Thomley put together Headcannon Studios and co-created Sonic Mania and Sonic Origins, he worked with other notable coders on Sonic the Hedgehog Megamix. It was an ambitious fangame that redrew and tweaked the original Sonic the Hedgehog levels and threw in new sound effects, music, moves, and characters.

Sonic, Tails, Shadow, and Mighty all turned up, each with their own moves from the Lightspeed Dash to the time-stopping Chaos Control. The project stalled when it moved to a 4.0 beta build for Sega CD hardware and emulators. But the 3.0 build is stable and works with Genesis emulators and machines. The particularly sneaky can even find cartridge versions on the black market, but it’s safer (and cheaper) to search for the game online.

13 Sonic 1: The Next Level

Floating Around At The Speed Of Sound

• Creators: MarkeyJester, GalliumGrant.
• Based On: Sonic 1-2, Sonic CD.

Despite being a relatively short game (3 acts and a boss), Sonic 1: The Next Level swept the 2015 Sonic Hacking Contest, winning the most trophies out of any entry in the contest’s history up to that point. It only has 3 Acts and a Boss round, but it had new level assets, new music, new badniks, and smoother animation than the original game. That’s not to mention some new gameplay mechanics like antigravity and hoverbikes.

The game also caught on beyond the Sonic Hacking community, appearing in Retro Gamer magazine’s features among others. Footage of it was even used for Netflix’s High Score series in its episode on the Console War between the Genesis and SNES. The episode clearly displayed its title, gimmicks, and references (‘Jester Stream Technology’), but someone at Netflix somehow mistook it for a legit Sonic game. If only.

14 Sonic: Before The Sequel

Sonic 1.5

• Creator: LakeFeperd.
• Based On: Sonic 1-2, Sonic CD, Sonic Advance.

Ever thought it was weird when a series makes a sequel or prequel to just one specific game? Like how the Street Fighter Alpha series (Zero in Japan) takes place before Street Fighter 2 but after Street Fighter 1? That’s what Sonic: Before the Sequel does for Sonic. Made by LakeFeperd, who went on to make the Spark the Electric Jester games, S:BtS gives the hedgehog a new adventure where he meets Tails for the first time.

It’s a very beefy game, with twelve zones to go through, with all but the final one having 3 acts per zone: two gameplay acts, and a boss one. If players want the good ending, they have to beat the game in under 2 hours to get it. Any longer and they’ll get the bad ending. Sonic isn’t as loaded with moves as in Sonic the Hedgehog Megamix, but he has his spindash and Sonic CD’s Super Peel-Out. Tails can fly as well, unlike in the original Genesis sequel.

15 Sonic: After The Sequel

Sonic 2.5

• Creator: LakeFeperd.
• Based On: Sonic 1-3 & Knuckles, Sonic CD, Sonic Advance.

If LakeFeperd could make a ‘Sonic 1.5’, why not a ‘Sonic 2.5’? Thus, Sonic: After the Sequel was made, with 10 new zones following the same structure as in the previous game; with the first nine having 2 levels, and 1 boss act each. Only now, players must find a hidden ring in each zone to jump into and play a secret version of that level with different weather effects. This game also gets rid of S: BtS‘s time-limit system for the good ending, which might be a relief for some.

Instead, players can pick a Story Mode to automatically see it in action, or a Classic Mode to do the usual Sonic thing and grab the Chaos Emeralds via special stages to access it. Sonic now has access to elemental shields like the Fire and Water ones from Sonic 3, and a new Spike one. If eager Sonic fans do seek this one out, it’s best to track down the ‘DX’ version from 2017, which adjusts the physics and gives Sonic the Drop Dash from Sonic Mania.

16 Sonic Chrono Adventure

There and Back Again

• Creator: LakeFeperd.
• Based On: Sonic 1-3 & Knuckles, Sonic CD, Sonic Advance, Sonic and the Black Knight, Sonic Unleashed/Colors/Generations.

After bookending Sonic 2 with S: BtS and S: AtS, LakeFeperd would mix around the Sonic timeline again with Sonic Chrono Adventure. Following Sonic 3 & Knuckles, Sonic gets chased by EGGATS-2013, the robot owl foe from S: AtS, which sends Sonic 100 years back in the past when the South Lakes region is fighting off the dictatorial rule of the Sky Empire’s Dr. Ucano. To make things worse, Dr. Eggman is threatening the area in the present as well.

By acquiring EGGATS’ feathers, Sonic can use portals to time travel between the past and present to save both versions of South Lakes from the evil doctors. It’s a more story-driven Sonic game, but it’s told sparingly with a few scenes to avoid bogging down the pace. It’s got the same speed-based fun as LakeFeperd’s prior games, only with new powerups that take inspiration from other games. The Boost shoes let Sonic boost a la Unleashed/Colors/Generations, while the Sword lets him swing a blade around Black Knight-style.

17 Sonic And The Fallen Star

Shining Bright

• Creator: Stardrop.
• Based On: Sonic 2, Sonic CD, Sonic Mania.

LakeFeperd’s fangames are a great place for Sonic fans to start if they want to see what the community can come up with. But they do have a rival in Sonic and the Fallen Star. It’s a straightforward game, as it’s a 2D platformer where players pick Sonic or Tails in a bid to stop Dr. Eggman’s plans and piece the Mystic Star back together. But it comes with its own graphical style, resembling Sonic Mania‘s old-school charm but with its own flourishes.

Related

11 Most Experimental Sonic Games

Many of these games are part of the main Sonic series, yet these titles feature some drastically experimental gameplay elements.

The game offers nine levels for players to race through, figuratively in the main campaign or literally via the Time Attack mode. Each has its gimmicks the player can use to their advantage, whether they’re flying with Tails, or racing with Sonic’s Drop Dash and Super Peel-Out. There are even Chaos Emeralds to collect, which offer an extra surprise if they’re all gathered together. Then, just as a neat little extra, the game offers two toggleable original soundtracks, where players can switch between one or the other for its different modes and menus.

18 Sonic 3: Angel Island Revisited

Outdoing Origins With a Single Mod

• Creators: Eukaryot, DJ Spindash.
• Based On: Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, Sonic 4: Episode 2.

Be it in its original form or the Plus re-release, Sonic Origins is a fine collection, especially as it offers the first re-release of Sonic 3 & Knuckles in ages. Still, it has a few issues, like the remixed music not being as good as the ‘Michael Jackson music’, and generally not being as polished as Headcannon Studios would’ve liked. However, the modding community has provided an alternative. With just a legal ROM of Sonic 3&K, players can stick the Sonic 3: Angel Island Revisited mod onto it.

It gives players a ton of options to play with. They can switch the soundtrack around to regain those classic tunes, play the prototype music, or use DJ Spindash’s new tracks. Players could also choose between the Sonic 3&K level layout or using the harder Sonic 3 layout. Solo players can make Tails lift Sonic (or Knuckles) to higher ledges, a la Sonic 4: Episode 2. It can even support other mods! Its widescreen features and 60FPS gameplay are just the cherry on the cake. Sonic 3 fans won’t need any other version of the game after this one.

19 Sonic Robo Blast 2

When Sonic Was Doom’d

• Creator: Sonic Team Junior.
• Based On: Doom Legacy, Sonic 1-3 & Knuckles, Sonic CD.

Most of the best Sonic fangames have been built on top of another Sonic game. So, how about one built on top of Doom? Sonic Robo Blast 2, the sequel to 1998(!)’s Sonic Robo Blast uses the Doom Legacy version of the classic shooter to produce a pseudo-3D platformer. Players can pick Sonic, Tails, or Knuckles, and leap through 25 levels across 8 zones, complete with all the classic power-ups and abilities. Only now, the player can move up, down, and all around the levels instead of just left-to-right.

There’s a host of different multiplayer modes, either locally or online. Players can help each other out in co-op or beat each other up in Match or Team Match. There’s even a Capture the Flag mode! Like Sonic 3: AIR, it supports its own mods as well, like replacing the sprites with 3D models, throwing in new levels, remaking SRB1, or turning the game into a kart racer, among others.

20 The Unleashed Project

No Werehog, No Problems

• Creator: Team Unleashed.
• Based On: Sonic Unleashed, Sonic Generations.

Today, every level in Sonic Unleashed plays smooth as silk thanks to backward compatibility on the Xbox One and X/S. But back on the 360, and especially the PS3, some levels would chug with slowdown. Especially during Jungle Joyride’s daytime stage with its high-def details and water physics. If only there was a way for people without Microsoft’s consoles to play Unleashed at a stable frame rate with better controls and without that silly Werehog business.

Enter Team Unleashed’s classic level pack mod. Stick their Unleashed Project mod onto a PC version of Sonic Generations, and players can play through all of Unleashed’s main Daytime stages. It comes complete with its own hub world, decorative features, and Generations’ tighter gameplay. Sadly, the original Steam PC port of Sonic Generations has since been delisted to make way for Sonic X Shadow Generations, so players will have to grab a physical disc until a similar mod can be made for its remaster.