Lace up those sneakers it’s time to check out the best Sonic fan games of 2023!
The retro gaming community never sleeps, continually working to bring new sequels to old games and reimagined titles that we should have had years ago had the planets aligned.
There are some incredible minds out there working to keep our favourite characters alive, Sonic being up there as one of the mascots that will never, ever die thanks to the community’s helping hand.
So what kind of games are we talking about?
You won’t find any cheap imitations here, folks. From brand new adventures to a freakishly horrific tale, the best Sonic fan games will delight (and terrify) you in equal measure.
Let’s stop yapping and check them out, shall we?
12. Metal Sonic Hyperdrive
Ever felt like the first Sonic the Hedghehog game has become a bit too predictable? Perhaps you’ve played it to death and are wishing for a new lease of life.
What you need is a dose of Metal Sonic in your life, and Metal Sonic Hyperdrive will provide.
Tails builds Metal Sonic after pilfering a load of parts from Robotnik’s laboratory. At first glance, it looks a lot like the original game but boasts new levels and music.
Fancy playing as Kirby too? Hell, why not!
11. Sonic Chrono Adventure
Made by the genius LakeFeperd who also created the game at Number 4 in this list, Sonic Chrono Adventure is a fan made game with an almost RPG-esque storyline to it.
Most Sonic games are pretty straight forward – run, collect rings, and don’t die. Chrono Adventure, however, boasts text boxes and an open world to explore through.
I guess it’s a little like Sonic meeting Metroid!
Get new attacks as you work your way through the game by upgrading abilities too!
10. Sonic Time Twisted
Sonic games used to drop every other day back in the 90s. Slight exaggeration, I know, but there were a lot of them being churned out by Sega HQ.
In contrast, this next entry in our best Sonic fan games was in development for over ten years! Now that’s dedication to making a quality title!
The premise; past and future versions of classic levels, a sort of ‘time traveling Sonic adventure through parallel universes.
Sonic has access to multiple different shields and there are some snazzy 3D stages to sink your teeth into along the way too.
9. Eggman Hates Furries
Eggman Hates Furries doesn’t just win the prize for the most weirdly named title, but it’s also a bloomin’ good Sonic fan-made game to boot.
I can best describe this game as a panicky dream brought to life through Genesis-style graphics.
It’s fast paced, which I know is a stupid thing to say about a Sonic game, but still… we’re talking faster than usual.
The main draw is the exciting animated cutscenes and the epic boss battles. It’s not a traditional Sonic game by any sense of the imagination, but it’s the developer’s mammoth imagination that makes this one of the best Sonic fan games hands down.
8. Sonic 3: Angel Island Revisited
This fan-made mod works with ROMs of Sonic 3 & Knuckles to offer the ultimate Sonic 3 experience. We’re talking classic tracks and revamped widescreen gameplay running at 60fps.
What more could a person want?
Well how about new music for the game produced by DJ Spindash, which is definitely just Sonic with a pair of headphones on, right?
And you don’t need to coax someone into playing with you to be able to get Tail’s help either thanks to a new feature added to single player mode. Who needs other friends when you’ve got Miles Prower, right
7. Sonic Smackdown
Sonic might be all chummy with Mario after they’ve shared the stage at the Olympics and the Smash Bros Arena, but he wants more.
Namely his own fighting game, and now he’s got one.
This is Sonic, Street Fighter style. It’s a brilliant game to play and one I wish was an actual console release title.
Choose from Sonic and 11 of his pals as you go up against famous faces from the Mobius universe.
I wonder it Tails can do the hundred hand slap… hundred tail slap, even.
6. Sonic Robo Blast 2
The original Robo Blast was pretty groundbreaking for the time; one of the first Sonic 3D games on the scene, in fact. Still, Robo Blast 2 perfected the formula and polished those sharp edges.
Essentially, it’s a reimagining of the very first Sonic game but in 3D.
If that’s not enough for you to want to play it, then nothing else I say here will!
Robo Blast 2 can’t just make it into our best Sonic fan games list on that fact alone, however.
No, it’s here because it looks and plays like a dream too. We’re talking smooth gameplay, bright colours, and no janky controls to contend with.
All in all, a quality little title that should keep all the die-hard hedgehog fans out there happy!
5. Sonic Megamix
Everyone has to start somewhere, right? For Simon Thomley of Sonic Mania and Sonic Origins fame, his origins began in the fan-made game Sonic Megamix.
And yes, if you’re still putting together the dots, he was involved in making Sonic Megamix… that’s the key point I’m trying to make here.
This game is by no means a simple title, with improved versions of the original levels from the first Sonic the Hedgehog the game and a whole bunch of new features for fans to check out such as new music and epic new moves.
Play as Sonic, Shadow, Mighty the Armadillo, and Tails in an adventure that, while familiar, will put a smile on die hard Sonic fan’s faces for a long time to come.
4. Sonic After The Sequel DX
LakeFeperds classic fan game Sonic After The Sequel DX is a classic amongst the ROM world. It takes places right after the events of Sonic 2, so much so that you can play one after the other and keep the action flowing.
The Death Egg hasn’t yet crashed into Angel Island yet, and Sonic & Tails are doing everything they can to stop Robotnik from carrying out his attack.
It’s incredibly hard to believe this isn’t an actual Sega title. LakeFepered is clearly more than just a ROM making master; he’s a bona fide Sonic fan that knows we all deserve Sonic games with oomph rather than the rubbish we’ve been served in recent years.
3. Sonic.EXE
Ever wondered what a horror-themed Sonic game might feel like? I think the next entry in our best Sonic fan games might give you an answer.
What started as a glitch where someone thought they saw a version of Sonic with creepy bleeding eyes spawned a dark version fo the game with some real gruesome and horrifying sh… I mean… stuff in it.
Sonic isn’t a good guy in this game; he’s trying rip everyone apart and eat their insides.
Players control Knuckles, Tails, and even Robotnik as they try to survive and avoid being torn to smithereens.
Don’t play this one before bed.
2. Sonic Utopia
A new game engine, a new adventure, and a new look that simply blows us away.
Imagine if Mobius got the BotW treatment; this is the general vibe in Sonic Utopia. The most impressive part is that the ROM keeps up with Sonic’s insane speeds, looking perfectly formed and not jittery as you bounce here and zoom there.
All in all, a superb slice of developing work!
Collect rings, battle enemies, and explore an exciting 3D version of the Emerald zone from the original Sonic outing.
1. Sonic World
It’s official; Sonic World takes the top spot as the best Sonic fan game of 2023.
For starters, take a look at that game world in the still above. It feels like Donkey Kong 64 meets Jak & Daxter, a fun and vibrant game word with lots of hidden wonders to uncover along the way.
I must admit that I prefer 3D Sonic games to the side-scrolling titles, and this fan-made epic is up there with the best.
Experience 40 new characters and 50 insanely detailed levels including a Chao Garden.
Oh yeah; we pulled out all the stops for this last entry alright!
Take part in high-speed online multiplayer and challenge your mates to find out who’s the ultimate life form!
Seb Santabarbara has bought every Nintendo console that has ever been released in his 31 years on Planet Earth. His favourite game franchise is Zelda, and he’s patiently waiting for Banjo-Kazooie to come back to the fold. When he’s not playing games, he’s travelling the world in his self-converted camper van.
