Sonic Pico Park brings co-op puzzle-platforming to Switch and Switch 2

A puzzler with Sonic flair

Sonic Pico Park has arrived on both the original Switch and Switch 2, according to a review published by Nintendo Life on 13 November 2026. The game is a spin-off of Pico Park, a minimalist puzzle-platformer in which players must work together to clear short, tricky stages.

The original game was created by developer Shunsuke Miyake more than a decade ago while he was working at Sega. It grew far more popular once online co-op arrived, and a fuller sequel reached the Switch in 2024. This new version keeps those core mechanics and adds design ideas drawn from Sonic's 16-bit era, timed for the character's 35th anniversary.

Three modes, one party

According to Nintendo Life, the game offers three modes. World Mode splits 15 puzzle scenarios across four stages of rising difficulty. Battle is competitive, with teams racing to collect the most rings. Endless challenges a group to survive a gauntlet for as long as possible without a mistake.

The challenges vary widely. Some are simple, such as walking forward and pressing a button. Others involve spikes, instant-kill barriers or players tethered together, which the review describes as the most taxing. The hardest puzzles, the outlet says, can make players shout at each other or laugh, sometimes both at once.

Sonic characters and nostalgia

Every character from the Sonic series is selectable, and a few are tuned for puzzles built around large characters, such as Big the Cat. The series' rings appear in Battle mode and also add a mechanic to certain puzzles that requires careful timing of invincibility frames, the brief window after taking a hit when a character cannot be harmed.

There are extra touches beyond the main puzzles. Nintendo Life notes a pinball minigame and a top-down take on the Sonic 2 bonus stage. Classic Sega sound effects also feature, which the reviewer found satisfying to hear from the Switch's speakers in handheld mode.

Who it suits, and the one catch

The review describes the game as bright, visually sparse and easy to control with a Joy-Con, making it a good fit for portable play. It is aimed squarely at groups: Sonic fans after a nostalgia fix and players looking for a light multiplayer game.

The main limitation is that there is no solo play at all, so a group is required. Nintendo Life's overall verdict is that Sonic Pico Park is a good little game for several players to enjoy together. Readers should note this is one outlet's opinion rather than a confirmed rating, and the review page itself shows only a small number of user ratings so far.