Yes, this is an official Sonic game from Sega. And no, it’s not part of the main series. This may be the first Sonic game to release on Mac from Day 1. The only other I can find is the Sonic Speed Simulator which exists inside Roblox. That came out in April 2022. Does that qualify? No idea. Either way this is an unusual April Fool’s Day release, which has been very warmly received.
The majority of the game is a visual novel with some light adventuring. Lots of talking. Silly and kawaii. Starting as a murder mystery event that takes a turn for the worst. I love the character art. Even as someone with only a passing interest in Sonic there’s something about seeing the franchise in this setting that brings a smile. Tails is super cute and optimistic; might be my favourite here.
Of most interest to me are the ring collecting runner arcade sections. Retro styled solid bits of gameplay. I could happily play a full game based entirely around this. It’s mainly easy to beat until the the last couple of runs, particularly the last one, which needed some practice. Alternatively there is an invincible mode in settings, effectively turning it into only a visual novel.
Not much more to say. It’s largely about the feels and the fun. There’s lots of familiar stuff for fans, and I enjoyed it regardless of not even knowing half the characters. Takes about two and a half hours to finish. Substantial enough for a free game. And that’s the key. It’s free and definitely worth an evening.
FREE on Steam.
mishmash 