Sonic & Knuckles

54 Games like Sonic & Knuckles that you should try

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Sonic & Knuckles is hard to replace: few games combine precision platforming, fantasy world and single-player focus in quite the same way. We analyzed over 2,000 titles across 6 gameplay attributes and found 54 genuine alternatives — not generic genre suggestions. LittleBigPlanet, Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Rayman Origins lead the list, with LittleBigPlanet reaching a 97/100 similarity score. Every game here is ranked by how closely it replicates what makes Sonic & Knuckles special.

iRank80/ 100

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GenrePlatformerSubgenre2D Platformer

Tags

SoloMultiplayer

Year 1994Dev Sonic Team

Quick answer

The closest game to Sonic & Knuckles is LittleBigPlanet — scoring 97/100 on our similarity scale. Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Rayman Origins follow close behind.

#1LittleBigPlanet97 #2Super Mario Bros. Wonder97 #3Rayman Origins94 #4Yoshi's Woolly World97 #5Super Mario World91

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Games like Sonic & Knuckles

54 similar games found

#1LittleBigPlanet

97

iRank96

LittleBigPlanet

GenrePlatformerSubgenre2D Platformer

SoloMultiplayerCo-opFantasy2D

IGDB96· 9

Year 2008Dev Media Molecule · Sony Computer EntertainmentOn PlayStation 3

✓ Same family of 2D platformers: precision platforming, fantasy world and single-player focus

≠ Stands apart with sandbox freedom and sandbox world

#2Super Mario Bros. Wonder

97

iRank93

Super Mario Bros. Wonder

GenrePlatformerSubgenre2D Platformer

SoloMultiplayerCo-opFantasy2D

IGDB95· 7OC91· 150

Year 2023Dev Nintendo EPD Production Group No. 10 · NintendoOn Switch

✓ Both are 2D platformers — sharing precision platforming, fantasy world and single-player focus

≠ Stands apart with vibe casual

#3Rayman Origins

94

iRank93

Rayman Origins

GenrePlatformerSubgenre2D Platformer

SoloMultiplayerCo-opFantasy2D

Steam👍 94%· 5.9KIGDB89· 8

Year 2011Dev Ubisoft Montpellier · Ubisoft EntertainmentOn PlayStation 3 · PC · Mac

✓ Fits the 2D platformers cluster, with precision platforming, fantasy world and single-player focus

≠ Its own twist: adventure storytelling, melee combat and offline

#4Yoshi's Woolly World

97

iRank79

Yoshi's Woolly World

GenrePlatformerSubgenre2D Platformer

SoloMultiplayerCo-opFantasy2D

IGDB79· 10OC80· 71

Year 2015Dev Good-Feel · Nintendo

✓ Same family of 2D platformers: precision platforming, fantasy world and single-player focus

≠ Where it differs: brings visual third person

#5Super Mario World

91

iRank100

Super Mario World

GenrePlatformerSubgenre2D Platformer

SoloMultiplayerFantasy2D

IGDB100· 1

Year 1990Dev Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development · Nintendo

✓ Both are 2D platformers — sharing precision platforming, fantasy world and single-player focus

≠ Its own twist: adventure storytelling, while skipping co op

#6Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

91

iRank100

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

GenrePlatformerSubgenre2D Platformer

SoloMultiplayerFantasy2D

IGDB100· 1

Year 1995Dev Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development · Nintendo

✓ Nearly identical: precision platforming, fantasy world and single-player focus.

≠ Missing: co op.

93

iRank91

Spiritfarer

GenrePlatformerSubgenre2D Platformer

Co-opSoloMultiplayerFantasy2D

Steam👍 95%· 52KIGDB88· 7OC87· 76

Year 2020Dev Thunder LotusOn PS4 · Linux · PC

✓ Same family of 2D platformers: precision platforming, fantasy world and co op

≠ Where it differs: brings adventure storytelling, deep simulation and strong narrative focus

#8New Super Mario Bros.

92

iRank95

New Super Mario Bros.

GenrePlatformerSubgenre2D Platformer

SoloMultiplayerCo-op2DMelee

IGDB95· 2

Year 2006Dev Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development · Nintendo

✓ Both are 2D platformers — sharing precision platforming, single-player focus and multiplayer gameplay

≠ Stands apart with adventure storytelling, dark, oppressive atmosphere and melee combat, while skipping fantasy world

93

iRank89

Metal Slug 2

GenrePlatformerSubgenre2D Platformer

MultiplayerCo-opSoloFantasy2D

Steam👍 89%· 1.4K

Year 1998Dev DotEmu · SNK PlaymoreOn PlayStation 3 · Android · PC

✓ Same family of 2D platformers: precision platforming, fantasy world and multiplayer gameplay

≠ Its own twist: shooter, adventure storytelling and first-person shooting

#10Ghosts 'n Goblins

91

iRank90

Ghosts 'n Goblins

GenrePlatformerSubgenre2D Platformer

SoloMultiplayerFantasy2D

IGDB90· 1

Year 1985Dev CapcomOn PC

✓ Both are 2D platformers — sharing precision platforming, fantasy world and single-player focus

≠ Stands apart with shooter and adventure storytelling, while skipping co op

#11Donkey Kong Country Returns

92

iRank86

Donkey Kong Country Returns

GenrePlatformerSubgenre2D Platformer

SoloMultiplayerCo-op2D

IGDB86· 7

Year 2010Dev Retro Studios · Nintendo

✓ Nearly identical: precision platforming, single-player focus and multiplayer gameplay.

≠ Missing: fantasy world.

#12Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

92

iRank85

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

GenrePlatformerSubgenre2D Platformer

SoloMultiplayerCo-op2D

IGDB86· 12OC84· 138

Year 2014Dev Retro Studios · Nintendo

✓ Nearly identical: precision platforming, single-player focus and multiplayer gameplay.

≠ Missing: fantasy world.

#13Kirby's Epic Yarn

92

iRank85

Kirby's Epic Yarn

GenrePlatformerSubgenre2D Platformer

SoloMultiplayerCo-op2D

IGDB85· 4

Year 2010Dev Good-Feel · Nintendo

✓ Fits the 2D platformers cluster, with precision platforming, single-player focus and multiplayer gameplay

≠ Where it differs: brings adventure storytelling, while skipping fantasy world

#14Kirby: Triple Deluxe

93

iRank80

Kirby: Triple Deluxe

GenrePlatformerSubgenre2D Platformer

SoloMultiplayerCo-opFantasy2D

IGDB79· 11OC81· 45

Year 2014Dev HAL Laboratory · Nintendo

✓ Both are 2D platformers — sharing precision platforming, fantasy world and single-player focus

≠ Where it differs: brings adventure storytelling, ranged combat and offline

90

iRank87

Spelunky 2

GenrePlatformerSubgenre2D Platformer

SoloMultiplayerCo-opFantasy2D

IGDB87· 10OC88· 69

Year 2020Dev BlitWorks · MossmouthOn Xbox · PS4 · PC

✓ Fits the 2D platformers cluster, with precision platforming, fantasy world and single-player focus

≠ Its own twist: adventure storytelling, roguelike runs and procedural generation

Games like Sonic & Knuckles

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Platformer · Adventure

New Super Mario Bros. U

New Super Mario Bros. U

Platformer · Adventure

Donkey Kong Country

Donkey Kong Country

Platformer

Sonic Mania

Sonic Mania

Platformer · Adventure

LittleBigPlanet 3

LittleBigPlanet 3

Platformer · Adventure

Metal Slug 3

Metal Slug 3

Platformer · shooter

TowerFall Ascension

TowerFall Ascension

Platformer · Fighting

New Super Mario Bros. 2

New Super Mario Bros. 2

Platformer · Adventure

Sonic Rush

Sonic Rush

Platformer

Gunstar Heroes

Gunstar Heroes

Platformer · shooter

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Frequently asked questions

What is the best game similar to Sonic & Knuckles?: The closest game to Sonic & Knuckles is LittleBigPlanet, scoring 97/100 on our similarity scale. They share 6 gameplay attributes, including precision platforming, single-player focus and multiplayer gameplay. It's the most faithful alternative currently available.
What are the top games like Sonic & Knuckles?: The three closest games to Sonic & Knuckles are: 1. LittleBigPlanet (97/100, 6 shared attributes) 2. Super Mario Bros. Wonder (97/100, 6 shared attributes) 3. Rayman Origins (94/100, 6 shared attributes). All share Sonic & Knuckles's most important gameplay attributes, ranked out of 54 candidates across 6 dimensions.
Is Super Mario Bros. Wonder similar to Sonic & Knuckles?: Yes, very much so — Super Mario Bros. Wonder scores 97/100 similarity to Sonic & Knuckles. They share 6 attributes, including precision platforming and single-player focus. It's one of the most direct alternatives available.
What Platformer games are similar to Sonic & Knuckles?: The best Platformer games similar to Sonic & Knuckles are LittleBigPlanet, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Rayman Origins and Yoshi's Woolly World. All share the Platformer genre alongside other key Sonic & Knuckles attributes like precision platforming, single-player focus and multiplayer gameplay.
How is similarity to Sonic & Knuckles calculated?: We compare Sonic & Knuckles against every game in our catalog using 6 gameplay attributes: genre, atmosphere, world structure, play modes, combat style, and more. Each category is weighted differently — genre matters more than visual style, for instance. The result is a 0-100 score reflecting how closely a game replicates the Sonic & Knuckles experience, not just whether it shares the same genre label.