Games like Sonic Mania
If Sonic Mania is your kind of game, the closest matches are Slam and Roll, Rayman Legends Retold and Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove — picked from the ranked list below. Reviewers single out its reimagined classic stages, smooth and responsive controls and nostalgic. Each pick is ranked by what players of this game also play, shared genres and tags, and review-mined similarity — not a generic popularity list.
Get personalized picks →Developed by Christian Whitehead, Headcannon, and PagodaWest Games and published by SEGA in 2017, Sonic Mania is a 2D action platformer featuring local co-op for up to three players. The game combines reimagined classic stages with new zones, character-customization options, and competitive multiplayer-versus modes alongside time-attack challenges. Reviewers highlight the smooth-and-responsive controls and the vast-replay-value-with-secrets-and-challenges, while players describe the experience as nostalgic and retro. Currently available for $4.99, the game holds an 84 on Metacritic and a 93% positive rating from over 13,000 Steam reviews, with verified compatibility on Steam Deck.
About Sonic Mania: Sonic Mania is an all-new adventure with Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles full of unique bosses, rolling 2D landscapes, and fun classic gameplay.
Players who liked Sonic Mania also play
Steam players who put hours into Sonic Mania also tend to own these titles — a signal called collaborative filtering. imho.run cross-references millions of library ownership patterns to surface games whose real audiences overlap, regardless of whether their genre tags match.
Slam and Roll
WHY THIS
Shares character customization and a retro mood with Sonic Mania.
Top pick for Sonic Mania fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Action and Adventure with Sonic Mania.
Trap enemies in giant balls, kick them into massive combos and clear the screen. Travel the world, unlock characters, play co-op, or embrace Action Roguelike Chaos Mode.
Rayman Legends Retold
WHY THIS
Second-strongest match for Sonic Mania fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Action and Adventure with Sonic Mania.
Embark on a bold reimagining of the beloved platformer, with new visuals and a retold story. Play solo or up to 4‑player couch co‑op, explore a mysterious new realm, jam through new musical stages, and more!
Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove
WHY THIS
Shares level design variation and a retro mood with Sonic Mania.
Third-strongest match for Sonic Mania fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Action and Adventure with Sonic Mania.
Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove is the complete Shovel Knight collection, containing all 5 games in the epic saga! Dig, blast, slash, and bash your way through a fantastical, 8-bit inspired world of pixel-perfect platforming, memorable characters, and world-class action-adventure gameplay.
Broforce
WHY THIS
Ranked #4 for Sonic Mania fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Action and Adventure with Sonic Mania.
Broforce is an action-packed side-scrolling run ‘n’ gun ode to freedom, putting you in control of an under-funded, overpowered paramilitary organization dealing exclusively in excessive force.
Blazing Chrome
WHY THIS
Shares a retro mood with Sonic Mania.
Ranked #5 for Sonic Mania fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Action with Sonic Mania.
In Blazing Chrome, bring your best pal and kick some metal butts to free the humankind while enjoying a classic run’n’gun, fully loaded with action and exciting fights!
Aeon Drive
WHY THIS
Shares a retro mood with Sonic Mania.
Ranked #6 for Sonic Mania fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Action and Adventure with Sonic Mania.
Rush through the cyberpunk landscapes of Neo Barcelona in Aeon Drive, an action-platformer with a speedrunning twist! Whether solo or in up to 4 player co-op, sprint and dash through many areas of the neon-infused city - and use your time and space-bending abilities to get ahead.
Slime-san: Superslime Edition
WHY THIS
Ranked #7 for Sonic Mania fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Action and Adventure with Sonic Mania.
Slime-san was minding his own business when suddenly… A giant worm appeared and gobbled him up! Deep within the worm’s belly, Slime-san has to face a decision: Be digested by the incoming wall of stomach acid... Or jump, slide and slime his way through the worm and back out its mouth!
Yooka-Laylee
WHY THIS
Shares a retro mood with Sonic Mania.
Ranked #8 for Sonic Mania fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Action and Adventure with Sonic Mania.
Yooka-Laylee is an all-new open-world platformer from genre veterans Playtonic! Explore huge, beautiful worlds, meet an unforgettable cast of characters and horde a vault-load of collectibles as buddy-duo Yooka and Laylee embark on an epic adventure to thwart corporate creep Capital B!
Reviewers mention these as similar to Sonic Mania
Surfaced from review text: when other players write 'if you liked X, try Y', we catch the name and resolve it back to a Steam game.
Sonic Adventure 2
WHY THIS
Shares a retro mood with Sonic Mania.
Reviewers of Sonic Mania cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Action with Sonic Mania.
Experience two unique adventures featuring both long-time heroes and new and returning villains as they battle for the fate of the world!
Sonic CD
WHY THIS
Shares a retro mood with Sonic Mania.
Reviewers of Sonic Mania cross-mention this title as a similar play.
It’s time to usher the past into the future in this enhanced recreation of Sonic CD! Sonic travels to the distant shores of Never Lake for the once-a-year appearance of Little Planet - a mysterious world where past, present, and future collide through the power of the Time Stones that lie hidden within it.
NEO: The World Ends with You
WHY THIS
Shares a nostalgic mood with Sonic Mania.
Reviewers of Sonic Mania cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Action with Sonic Mania.
"Only the possibility of you can change our fate" Rindo comes to the grim realization that his life is on the line when he is forced to compete in the so-called "Reapers' Game."
Persona 5 Royal
WHY THIS
Reviewers of Sonic Mania cross-mention this title as a similar play.
Don the mask and join the Phantom Thieves of Hearts as they stage grand heists, infiltrate the minds of the corrupt, and make them change their ways!
Sonic Origins
WHY THIS
Shares a retro mood with Sonic Mania.
Reviewers of Sonic Mania cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Action and Adventure with Sonic Mania.
Experience the collected adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog in Sonic Origins Plus! With 16 legendary Sonic titles, including 12 Game Gear games, new playable characters, modes, challenges, behind-the-scenes content, and more, this is the definitive way to play these classic games!
Sonic Colors: Ultimate
WHY THIS
Shares a nostalgic mood with Sonic Mania.
Reviewers of Sonic Mania cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Action and Casual with Sonic Mania.
Join Sonic in the high-speed adventure of a lifetime across a colorful interstellar amusement park. Color the Universe in Sonic Colors: Ultimate!
Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing
WHY THIS
Shares a retro mood with Sonic Mania.
Reviewers of Sonic Mania cross-mention this title as a similar play.
SONIC AND SEGA ALL-STARS RACE FOR VICTORY IN A HIGH SPEED HIGH SKILL RACETRACK SHOWDOWN! TAKE TO THE TRACK BY CAR, MONSTER TRUCK, BIKE AND EVEN AEROPLANE IN SONIC & SEGA ALL-STARS RACING. Explore stunning new circuits including Sonic Seaside Hill, Curien Mansion and Blizzard Castle as you zip around medieval castle ramparts, hurtle...
Zero-K
WHY THIS
Reviewers of Sonic Mania cross-mention this title as a similar play.
With 100+ truly unique units, Zero-K is an RTS of freedom and creativity, tempered by a decade of refinement. Sculpt land into a castle and throw invaders off it with a Jugglenaut. Explore a massive campaign, solo or co-op. Hop online for epic 32 player battles or fast paced 1v1, on 100s of maps.
Cheaper alternatives
Games in the same vein priced at least 40% below Sonic Mania at current Steam store prices.
POSTAL 2
WHY THIS
Priced ~80% under Sonic Mania on Steam right now. Shares Action and Adventure with Sonic Mania.
Live a week in the life of "The POSTAL Dude"; a hapless everyman just trying to check off some chores. Buying milk, returning an overdue library book, getting Gary Coleman's autograph, what could possibly go wrong?
The Test
WHY THIS
Priced ~60% under Sonic Mania on Steam right now. Shares Adventure with Sonic Mania.
You will answer a series of questions that will reveal truths from deep within. These questions may make you uncomfortable, but with great knowledge comes great sacrifice. Can you make it all the way through The Test, and if you do, are you sure you want the answers you seek?
Milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk
WHY THIS
Priced ~70% under Sonic Mania on Steam right now. Shares Adventure with Sonic Mania.
A short story about what sort of challenges everyday little things can be. Help the girl buy milk, be the first not to disappoint her.
Blood and Bacon
WHY THIS
Priced ~80% under Sonic Mania on Steam right now. Shares Action and Adventure with Sonic Mania.
This Co-op Shooter , has Day and Night levels, multiple maps, players will take on 25 enemy types and numerous bosses, like Gargantuan Monsters and Minibosses every 10 days as you explore, shoot and run for your life against the onslaught of porcine monstrosities.
Placid Plastic Duck Simulator
WHY THIS
Priced ~60% under Sonic Mania on Steam right now. Shares Casual with Sonic Mania.
The ultimate high-tech rubber duck simulation, Placid Plastic Duck brings you dangerous levels of relaxation. With chill music, dreamy 3D graphics, and many different happy ducks, your only priority is to float around. Zero Ducks given.
Peggle Deluxe
WHY THIS
Priced ~80% under Sonic Mania on Steam right now. Shares Casual with Sonic Mania.
Take your best shot with energizing arcade fun! Aim, shoot, clear the orange pegs, then sit back and cheer as 10 whimsical teachers guide you to Peggle greatness.
STAR WARS™ Republic Commando™
WHY THIS
Priced ~50% under Sonic Mania on Steam right now. Shares Action with Sonic Mania.
You are the leader of an elite squad of Republic Commandos, your mission is to infiltrate, dominate, and ultimately, annihilate the enemy. Your squad will follow your orders and your lead, working together as a team - instinctively, intelligently, instantly. You are their leader. They are your weapon.
shapez
WHY THIS
Priced ~80% under Sonic Mania on Steam right now. Shares Casual with Sonic Mania.
shapez is an easy-going, minimalistic factory building game about the automation of shapes through extraction and satisfying production lines. Adapt to increasingly complex shapes and grow your factory across an infinitely expanding map. Your only limitation is your creativity!
Free alternatives
Free-to-play games that recommended players of this title also tend to enjoy.
Doki Doki Literature Club!
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Casual with Sonic Mania.
The Literature Club is full of cute girls! Will you write the way into their heart? This game is not suitable for children or those who are easily disturbed.
Life is Strange - Episode 1
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Action and Adventure with Sonic Mania.
Episode 1 now FREE! Life is Strange is an award-winning and critically acclaimed episodic adventure game that allows the player to rewind time and affect the past, present and future.
Bongo Cat
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it.
Bongo cat needs your help. Bongo cat needz more hatz!!! Every time you press a key, Bongo cat will punch your taskbar. Type, click, play, work to collect more points. Which hats will you find?
ENA: Dream BBQ
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Adventure with Sonic Mania.
Experience surreal environments and inexplicable characters as ENA in a new wild world.
The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Casual with Sonic Mania.
Sonic the Hedgehog...was murdered!? Get to the bottom of the mystery in this brand-new adventure!
Indigo Park: Chapter 1
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Action and Adventure with Sonic Mania.
Explore the abandoned childhood wonder of Indigo Park! Guided by Rambley the Raccoon, help restore power to the destroyed amusement park while you run from the reason it shut down.
STRAFTAT
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Action with Sonic Mania.
STRAFTAT is a 1v1/2v2 ONLINE first person SHOOTER with quick rounds in over 350 MAPS ; Including all WEAPONS, proximity chat and 4 players FFA.
Narrow it down
Head-to-head comparisons
Plays great on Steam Deck
Valve-Verified or Playable picks from the similar pool — ready to go on Deck out of the box.
Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove
WHY THIS
Shares level design variation and a retro mood with Sonic Mania.
Deck Verified — runs on Steam Deck out of the box. Shares Action and Adventure with Sonic Mania.
Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove is the complete Shovel Knight collection, containing all 5 games in the epic saga! Dig, blast, slash, and bash your way through a fantastical, 8-bit inspired world of pixel-perfect platforming, memorable characters, and world-class action-adventure gameplay.
Blazing Chrome
WHY THIS
Shares a retro mood with Sonic Mania.
Deck Verified — runs on Steam Deck out of the box. Shares Action with Sonic Mania.
In Blazing Chrome, bring your best pal and kick some metal butts to free the humankind while enjoying a classic run’n’gun, fully loaded with action and exciting fights!
Yooka-Laylee
WHY THIS
Shares a retro mood with Sonic Mania.
Deck Verified — runs on Steam Deck out of the box. Shares Action and Adventure with Sonic Mania.
Yooka-Laylee is an all-new open-world platformer from genre veterans Playtonic! Explore huge, beautiful worlds, meet an unforgettable cast of characters and horde a vault-load of collectibles as buddy-duo Yooka and Laylee embark on an epic adventure to thwart corporate creep Capital B!
Frequently asked about Sonic Mania
- Is Sonic Mania verified for Steam Deck?
- Yes — Sonic Mania is Steam Deck Verified, meaning Valve has confirmed it runs well on the Deck with full controller, text legibility, and default configuration support.
- How much does Sonic Mania cost?
- Sonic Mania is listed on Steam at 4.99 USD (current store price; Steam sales may reduce this temporarily).
- Does Sonic Mania have multiplayer or co-op?
- Yes — Sonic Mania supports multi-player play according to its Steam store listing (Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen PvP, Shared/Split Screen Co-op).
- What games are most similar to Sonic Mania?
- Based on Steam play patterns and shared genres/tags, the games most often recommended alongside Sonic Mania are Slam and Roll, Rayman Legends Retold, Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove.
- Who developed Sonic Mania?
- Sonic Mania was developed by Christian Whitehead, Headcannon, PagodaWest Games and published by SEGA.
imho.run ranks Steam game alternatives using a mix of collaborative filtering (ALS / iALS / EASE / LightGCN), content scoring over genres, categories, Steam tags, developers, and publishers, plus AI-extracted vibes mined from review text. The page above is generated in seed mode anchored on Sonic Mania.
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