Product Info

Platform

Switch 2, Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PC

Publisher

PICO PARK Inc.

Developer

TECOPARK

Series

PICO PARK

Genre

Puzzle

Players

2-8

File Size (Minimum)

375 MB

Release Date (NA)

Nov 12, 2026

Purchase From

eShop

PSN Store

Microsoft Store

Steam

Home » SONIC PICO PARK (Review)

SONIC PICO PARK is a radical, entertaining, cooperative 2D pixel-styled puzzle game where players can play as various Sonic the Hedgehog characters in this new version of PICO PARK. It’s too cool to pass up.

Way Past Cool

Celebrating 35 years of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sega along with the creators of PICO PARK collaborate to create a new cooperative puzzle game called SONIC PICO PARK.

There are three different modes players can choose: World, Battle, and Endless. Each requires at least two players to play, and they can be local or online. Online players can come to other platforms, which is exciting to see that crossplay is offered in this game. Those who do not want the option of crossplay can turn the feature off in the game’s settings. Stages are simple-looking with basic shapes but crafted to make each one feel vastly different and charming.

After experiencing the game earlier this year at the Summer Game Fest Play Days by cooperating with three random people in the same room and recently playing with friends and family, the game heavily relies on communication and cooperation. This can be quite a problem for those who cannot become a team player and cooperate on a friendly level, but that’s more of a player issue than the game itself, as I found playing in two different environments we all had a blast playing this way past cool cooperative puzzle game.

World Mode has a number of stages at each level. There’re fifteen levels and each level consists of four stages. So, you have a total of sixty stages to play and players can return to them anytime after completing them. In each stage, they carry their own has its own problem-solving situations that require players to work together in order to reach the goal located at the end. For example, a bungee cord tied between your characters to help players from falling into pits while grabbing a floating key. Coordinate to grab the key to unlock a keyhole in the wall that’ll open the path to complete the stage. If you fail enough times, the game provides additional hints and sometimes an extra ring to help you get through.

There are also mini-games in some of these stages that resemble classic Sonic the Hedgehog games, like the pinball casino style in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and the blue/red sphere stage from Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Additionally, reenactment stages from famous battles are recreated in the World Mode. Expect to have a tubular time, Sonic fans! If the PICO PARK team ever adds more stages, I would love to see more familiar Sonic the Hedgehog game levels in them.

After finishing all the stages, revisiting them doesn’t provide enough replay value unless done with a new group, so there should be additional options for those who have already completed the game. For example, PICO PARK 2 offers a dark mode for stages to be more challenging. Why not add a challenging mode for stages you complete? Another option is to add a time attack feature to try to beat your best timed score. A fitting addition for a title that involves Sonic the Hedgehog.

These stages feel not just rewarding but also entertaining because they are crafted based on the number of players participating. For example, when two players are playing, one character must reach a button to allow the other character to come over. With more players, it requires more teamwork to activate certain scenarios to get across pits and other troublesome hurdles to reach the stage’s goal. While two players make each stage easier to conquer, the game carries more charm and fulfillment when there are more players involved. It’s a great multiplayer game, and with it being labeled with Sonic the Hedgehog, more people are more likely to want to jump in.

More Ways to Spin

With Battle Mode players can compete against each other in four different stages. Win three matches to claim victory. While playing in each of these modes, they feel broken to where if you have a flying character like Tails, it feels like you can win by default, such as by collecting enough rings that hang above while avoiding spiked balls. It may have some unique flair but could use more polishing.

Endless Mode offers three stages where all players must play until someone fails. This mode generates exciting moments as players progress, and even simple mistakes can lead to laughter. Like the other modes, the more players are involved, the wilder these stages become.

Pick a Sonic, Any Sonic

Players can choose from a wide variety of Sonic the Hedgehog characters, mostly colored variations of Sonic himself. Every character can spin attack, jump, and move back-and-forth. However, there are some characters that carry unique abilities such as flying and gliding. Tails, Rogue, Cream, and Charmy can fly, and Knuckles can glide. It’s surprising that Knuckles is the only character who can glide, as there should be more.

While Big the Cat and Vector the Crocodile are available to play, they are only for specific stages. Occasionally you may not have the right character to finish a stage, but the game will provide assistance to help you. For example, when players choose characters that do not fly for a stage that requires a flying character, the game sets up a “dressroom” where they can swap to a flying character to complete the stage. Regarding antagonist characters, you can expect to see them appear as you play through the game’s World Mode.

Aside from the lack of additional gliding characters, there’s a large set of characters to choose from, and the setup for how they are used is quite creative when completing each stage. All this for $9.99 USD, you couldn’t ask for a better deal.

The Final Stage

SONIC PICO PARK is a radical, way past cool cooperative puzzle game that brings together charming pixel-art stages, clever teamwork mechanics, and beloved Sonic the Hedgehog characters. With a variety of creative stages, crossplay multiplayer, and nostalgic callbacks to the Sonic games, it’s a tubular experience best enjoyed with friends. A meowtastic way to throw a party for Sonic fans!

A PlayStation 5 code was provided by the publisher for this review. SONIC PICO PARK launches on November 12, 2026 for the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Fans can visit the game’s official website for more information.