TheSonic The Hedgehogfranchise holds an odd place in the video game industry. Themascot platformeris one of the most iconic characters in gaming history, yet many people believe the blue hedgehog has an underwhelming collection of games. This opinion of Sonic’s catalog isn’t universal, as although some believethere are no good sonic games, there are otherswho believe the franchise is competitive with Nintendo’sMario.
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It’s difficult for gamers to know whether theSonicfranchise is for them or not without trying the games for themselves. For those who are looking to try one ofSonic’sadventures, we’ve listed the main series games in order of their Main Story completion time according tohowlongtobeat.com.
Updated June 16, 2025, by Jack Pursey:The Sonic the Hedgehog franchise has been riding a wave of success lately, though the blue hedgehog’s gaming ventures have not been the source. Instead, Sega’smascot characterhas found success on the silver screen, with two Sonic the Hedgehog movies that have both been financial successes. It’s fair to say that few people expected the movies to be so successful, especially after the first one’s infamous trailer was initially released. This success has brought with it a wave of new fans to the long-running gaming series. To give new and existing fans an idea of what game to play first/next, this list has been updated to include some key information, such as each game’s best feature and the platforms that they can be played on.
17Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) - 2 Hours
The one that started it all, the originalSonic The Hedgehogwas released all the way back in 1991. The blue hedgehog was created with a clear goal: to be the driving force behindSega’s quest to topple Nintendo. Sega was, of course, unsuccessful in this mission, but the original game was an excellent attempt to compete withMario.
16Sonic CD - 2 Hours
Sonic CDwas initially released on the Sega CD in 1993. The game was originally planned to be an enhanced port of its predecessor,SonicThe Hedgehog 2, though poor sales in Japan resulted in a change of direction. The change paid off, asSonic CDwas a commercial success and is considered one of the franchise’s best releases to date.
15Sonic the Hedgehog 2 - 2.5 Hours
The aforementioned second game may have struggled to sell in Japan, though it performed outside of the country, becomingthe Sega Genesis' best-selling game worldwide.Sonic The Hedgehog 2stands proudly alongsideSonic CDas being considered amongthe franchise’s best-ever releases, as the game features some of the series' most well-designed levels.
14Sonic the Hedgehog 3 - 3 Hours
Despite the name,Sonic The Hedgehog 3was the fourth entry in Sonic’s main series, withSonicCDreleasing the year before it. The game was a commercial success, becoming theSega Genesis' seventh highest selling game, though it sold considerably fewer copies thanSonic The Hedgehog 2.The drop in sales from the second game wasn’t indicative of the quality, though, asSonic The Hedgehog 3continued the IP’s hot streak.
13Sonic & Knuckles - 3 Hours
Sega didn’t waste any time with releasing Sonic’s next game afterSonic The Hedgehog3,as theSonic & Knucklesinitially hit stores just over eight months later. As the title suggests, the game differentiated itself from its predecessors by making Knuckles a playable character.
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The choice of characters wasn’t just a visual gimmick, as the pair have different strengths and weaknesses; Sonic has a higher jump and shield abilities, whereas Knuckles can scale walls and glide.
12Sonic and the Black Knight - 3 Hours
A three-hour runtime is excusable forSonic & KnucklesandSonic the Hedgehog 3due to the gamesreleasing in the early 90s, though it’s far harder to justify it forSonic and the Black Knightas the game was released in 2009. For context,Assassin’s Creed IIandInfamouswere released the same year, both of which take around 18 hours to beat.Sonic and the Black Knight’sshort runtime was one of the game’s many shortcomings, which made it both a critical and commercial disappointment.
11Sonic Forces - 4 Hours
Sonic Forceswas released as recently as 2017, making the full-priced game’s 4-hour runtime extremely disappointing. Much likeSonic and the Black Knight, Sega can’t defend the game’s short runtime for being quality over quantity, as the game was poorly received by both fans and critics, exemplified by its Metascores that ranged between 56 and 62 across its four releases.
10Shadow The Hedgehog - 5 Hours
Despite Sonic’s name not featuring in the title,Shadow The Hedgehogis considered a main series entry in theSonicfranchise. The game was branded as a more mature and edgy take on theSonicuniverse, with Shadow having multiple guns at his disposal. The game’s shift in tone didn’t do the series any favors, and the game was dealt with a brutalMetascore of 45 on PlayStation 2.
9Sonic Colors - 5 Hours
Sonic Colorshad a large weight of pressure on its shoulders, as it had the tricky task of revitalizing the series after the disappointment ofSonic and the Black Knight.Although the game isn’t considered to be among the very bestSonicgames, it was still seen as a return to form for the franchise, with both the Wii and DS versions being thoroughly enjoyable.
8Sonic Mania - 5.5 Hours
Sonic Maniais considered by many to be the franchise’s best release of the last decade. This perception is fairly damning to the current state of theSonicfranchise, as not only does the game return to the playstyle of the original Sega Genesis titles, but it was also made by a team known for their fan-made games rather than Sonic Team.
