Sonic The Hedgehog: 6 Most Comforting Games In The Series

Highlights

• Sonic Lost World offers a slower pace and enjoyable platforming experience.
• Sonic Dash is an accessible, auto-runner game perfect for short bursts.
• Sonic R provides a nostalgic, light-hearted racing game with catchy music.

At their core, most of the Sonic games are about racing through stages as quickly as possible to retrieve a high score at the end of the level, but not all of them are quite this intense. In fact, plenty of games within this much-beloved series are a little more laid-back and relaxing, to the point where they could even be considered comforting or cozy to play in short bursts.

Sometimes, this can simply come down to the gameplay itself, which is designed to be a bit slower and easier to follow than other entries, but it can also occur if a game features multiple fun modes and minigames outside the main story that players can sink plenty of hours into. The following Sonic games always provide a pleasant and comforting experience to jump into at any time.

1 Sonic Lost World

The Slower Pace Of Lost World Turns It Into A Chilled-Out Platformer

Sonic Lost World was released for the Nintendo 3DS back in 2013, and though it was taking a slightly different direction from previous games with its very vibrant and cartoonish art style, another notable difference was Sonic’s movement. The Blue Blur’s maximum speed has been toned down in this title so players can have an easier time moving him around, and while this does remove some of the high-speed antics many people love, it also turns the whole thing into an enjoyable platformer that doesn’t need to be rushed through.

The addition of a dedicated run button also grants players greater control over how Sonic navigates these stages, preventing him from flying off the rails, which can otherwise get in the way of immersion in several of the 3D-era games. Speaking of stages, there’s a plentiful variety of beautiful locales to visit in Lost World, making for a brilliant game that provides a slower but still enjoyable dose of modern Sonic gameplay.

2 Sonic Dash

An Auto-Runner Great For Short-Burst Sessions

• Platform(s): PC, Mobile, Arcade
• Released: March 7, 2013
• Developer(s): Hardlight
• Genre(s): Auto-Runner

Sonic Dash boils the traditional 3D Sonic formula down to the basics, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. When jumping into a level, Sonic will automatically run forward while the player guides him along his journey to avoid obstacles, leap over hurdles, and collect as many rings as possible to maximize the total score.

Since this is virtually everything players need to do for the entire game, it’s an incredibly accessible title that shines because of its simplicity, which also ends up making for quite a relaxing time-sink. Anyone who wants an easy Sonic game where they can still travel at high speeds without getting bombarded by complex mechanics should definitely try out Sonic Dash for mobile devices.

3 Sonic R

Provides A Nostalgic Blast To The Past With Its Charming Visuals And Soundtrack

Every element of Sonic R comes together to create a game that’s hard not to love. On the one hand, there are charming visuals and character designs that still hold up to this day, and on the other, the game is packed full of catchy summer-themed tunes that add so much flavor to the overall experience. “Can You Feel the Sunshine?” and “Work it Out” are just two examples of classic songs that came from this quirky racing game.

This already creates an infectiously bubbly and light atmosphere, but it also helps to remind players that high-speed gameplay shouldn’t be taken too seriously and is simply a fun racing game that is clearly rough around the edges, but still a blast to play. Mario Kart may be known for its fiercely competitive gameplay, but Sonic R is a much more chilled-out alternative.

4 Sonic Frontiers

It’s A Little Too Easy To Spend Countless Hours Running Across Frontiers’ Beautiful Open World

When the first trailers were being released for Sonic Frontiers in 2022, fans were a little worried about how well Sonic would translate over to the open-world genre. Thankfully, when the game launched later that year, Sega proved they had managed to nail down something truly unique for the series which, in many ways, also felt a lot more relaxing and cozy than many of the more action-packed modern titles.

When he’s not taking part in the brief Cyber Space levels, which act as the game’s traditional Sonic stages, the chili dog-loving hedgehog is free to roam across beautiful open areas that are littered with puzzles, minigames, and plenty of optional challenges. It’s all so easy to spend an hour or two simply running across the visually stunning open world at blistering speeds, and there’s even a relaxing fishing game with Big the Cat players can take part in, a feature certainly welcomed by all the Animal Crossing fans out there.

5 Sonic Adventure 2

It’s Hard To Find Many Modes In Video Games That Are As Relaxing As Chao Garden

On a first playthrough, Sonic Adventure 2 can come across as being pretty intense and chaotic. After all, many fans do consider this to be the darkest and most mature story in the series. However, it’s on subsequent playthroughs that Sonic Adventure 2 turns into a comforting experience where players can speed through the game in no more than a few hours. So long as players are aware of the character mechanics, and where some of the key items are, the game becomes a straightforward thrill ride accompanied by an upbeat soundtrack and so many unique areas to explore.

Of course, it’s impossible to talk about Sonic Adventure 2 and not mention the Chao Garden. Just as the name implies, this is an optional mode where players can care for several small innocent creatures known as Chao, but because of how much there is to do in the garden, it makes the mode very addictive and easy to get lost in. Chao Karate and Chao Racing are just a few examples of the activities the Chao can take part in, providing a nice breath of fresh air from the thrilling main story.

6 Sonic Unleashed

A Breezy Globe Trotting Adventure With A Brand New Friend

Aside from its exhilarating daytime missions, which can become a little hectic due to the introduction of the Boost system, Sonic Unleashed is a fairly slow and cozy experience. For a lot of the game, Sonic and his new buddy Chip will be free to explore several areas across the world that are all based on real countries. Within these mini hub-worlds, players can choose to speak to NPCs, seek out medals, or just admire the richly detailed environments.

Compared to the daytime missions, the Werehog levels are a lot slower and essentially play like beat em’ ups where Sonic is easily able to overthrow his opponents with devastating punches and throws. They also throw in some platforming sections that provide a nice change of pace, but none of this ever becomes too strenuous to play through. On the surface, Sonic Unleashed may not seem like a relaxing game to play, but the slower pace and more methodical gameplay segments make it a wonderful game that doesn’t demand too much focus from the player.