Controls: Press A to not die.

CW: themes of isolation, mild flashing lights, and visuals that may trigger trypophobia.

Created in just 12 days for Halloween 2024, this short ROM hack is all about how much of an eerie atmosphere can be achieved in Sonic 1 by removal alone.

Every action carries an immediate, permanent consequence. Collecting a ring, defeating an enemy, finishing a level—each choice causes something in the game to vanish forever. The more Sonic interacts with his surroundings, the emptier the world becomes, leaving him to wander through a silent, desolate landscape. There are no jumpscares, no hyper-realistic blood, and definitely no Sonic.exe—just a quiet, decaying world. Will you keep moving forward, even as everything around you fades into meaninglessness? Or will you look for an escape?

Thanks to: ajcox, Chaotic SoFa, vladikcomper, zakku, DeltaW

P.S.: Inspired by Spindαsh in Sonic 2 SMS and Half-Life 2: Alone Mod. Also, I would've loved to call this hack Sonic Eraser, but unfortunately that name is already taken. At least it served as a nice palette cleanser after working on Sonic ERaZor 7 for ten months, heh.