Choose Sonic Mania
Choose Sonic Mania if you want the Steam Leaderboards side of the pairing. On Steam, it's currently about 88% cheaper on the Steam Store. 13,860 Steam reviews back the pick.
Sonic Mania vs Rayman Legends Retold
Sonic Mania and Rayman Legends Retold both land in Action, Adventure, Casual on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Action, Adventure, Casual on Steam. Sonic Mania (2017) is 9 years older than Rayman Legends Retold (2026). Sonic Mania is currently ~88% cheaper on Steam than Rayman Legends Retold (4.99 USD vs. 39.99 USD). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Rayman Legends Retold
Choose Rayman Legends Retold if you want the Subtitle Options, Playable without Timed Input, and Save Anytime side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Rayman Legends Retold launched in 2026.
Both Sonic Mania and Rayman Legends Retold sit in Action, Adventure, and Casual on Steam and both list Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Shared/Split Screen PvP, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Sonic Mania |  Rayman Legends Retold | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Adventure, Casual | Action, Adventure, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 4.99 USD | 39.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 93.4% positive (13,860 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Shared/Split Screen Co-op |
| Developers | Christian Whitehead, Headcannon, PagodaWest Games | Ubisoft |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Adventure, Casual on Steam.
- Sonic Mania (2017) is 9 years older than Rayman Legends Retold (2026).
- Sonic Mania is currently ~88% cheaper on Steam than Rayman Legends Retold (4.99 USD vs. 39.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Sonic Mania is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Rayman Legends Retold has no Deck rating yet.
Sonic Mania vs Rayman Legends Retold — FAQ
- Should I play Sonic Mania or Rayman Legends Retold first?
- If you want chronology, Sonic Mania (2017) came out before Rayman Legends Retold (2026). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Sonic Mania and Rayman Legends Retold similar?
- They overlap on Action, Adventure, Casual on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Do both Sonic Mania and Rayman Legends Retold have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Sonic Mania ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op; Rayman Legends Retold ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op.
- Does Sonic Mania run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Sonic Mania is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Rayman Legends Retold doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.