Sonic.EXE (Game)

Sonic.EXE is a fangame in the Sonic the Hedgehog series developed by Adam Gavigan (MY5TCrimson) and first released in August 2012Initial YouTube release of the game. The game is an adaptation of the original creepypasta of the same name, with additional original content added in later versions.
==Gameplay==
===Main Game===
The first level of the game as Tails is Hill, a flat version of Green Hill Zone. Partway through the level, dead animals start appearing on the ground and in the palm trees, and Sonic.EXE can be seen hiding in certain trees. Sonic.EXE stands at the end of the level, facing away from Tails with his eyes closed. Tails approaches Sonic.EXE in a cutscene as static gradually grows more intense on the screen, and the level abruptly ends once Sonic.EXE opens his eyes. 
The player is sent to the level Hide and Seek, a burning Angel Island Zone. Once the player moves far enough, Sonic.EXE starts chasing him from behind, moving slightly faster than Tails's top speed. Once Tails is caught, Tails trips and starts crying, and Sonic.EXE appears next to him and telekinetically kills him.
Knuckles' level is You Can't Run, a flat Scrap Brain Zone with a dark red sky. After moving far enough, static briefly appears on the screen and the ground becomes covered in blood. After reaching the end of the level, Sonic.EXE appears in front of Knuckles and the text "FOUND YOU" is displayed. The player then enters a mock fight with Sonic.EXE, where Sonic.EXE teleports away every time Knuckles gets close, as he is "toying" with him. After enough time passes, Knuckles will collapse and Sonic.EXE will kill him.
Eggman's level is ..., a castle with long staircases. The background changes after reaching the bottom of each staircase. At the end of the level, Sonic.EXE appears in front of Eggman. The game cuts to Sonic.EXE's face with the text "I AM GOD". Static flickers on the screen, and Sonic.EXE distortedly laughs after the last burst of static. The game then cuts to a message asking if the player is ready for "Round 2".
The game then cuts to a "GAME OVER" screen, depicting Sonic.EXE standing inside the ring on the Sonic the Hedgehog title screen, holding Tails in the air by one of his tails. The image is obscured by translucent fire. After 13.3 seconds, the screen cuts to a poem written in white Japanese text on a blurred red background, with demonic chanting in the background. If the player has played the game normally, the game softlocks on the image.
===Secret Levels===
In Version 7, secret levels can be found by going left in certain levels, which are required to access the translated Japanese text and the secret ending level.
In Hill, turning back after the dead animals start appearing sends the player to a short unnamed level set in an outdoor Lava Reef Zone. At the end of the level, Sonic.EXE stands inside a pit of lava. Jumping into the pit displays the message "THE FIRES AWAIT", and sends the player back to Hill. Going left will allow the player to collect the first black Ring. It will say "DIE" once the player gets it.
In You Can't Run, going left will take the player to a large pit. Jumping into the pit causes the game to glitch and freeze, followed by the message "DON'T LIKE PLAYING BY THE RULES?". The player is sent to the level FFFFFF, an abstract area with rings rapidly moving around the screen and distorted music. Messages from Sonic.EXE appear in the background throughout the level. After reaching the end, the player is sent back to You Can't Run. The second black Ring can be found in front of the pit.
In ..., turning back just before the first staircase takes the player to an unnamed level consisting of a long declining set of platforms. After running past a message from Sonic.EXE at the end of the level, the player is sent back to ..., where the final black Ring can now be collected.
If the player has played all three secret levels, once the game ends, the Japanese text is translated into English, and reads:
:There is a way to release ourselves. A spell to obtain our souls once more.But we must speak it - but when we speak-No sound. We are all deaf.So failure is inevitable. And I regret ever entering my internal betwith the devil inside of me.Immortality vs. soul snatchingGary Crook vs. Jake ShanleyAmbition is overrated
If the player collected all three black Rings after completing the secret levels, after 30 seconds the game will cut to a secret level where the player controls Sonic the Hedgehog inside a void obscured by heavy static. Disembodied screaming faces frequently appear overlayed onto the screen, and several messages from Sonic.EXE appear in the background. After progressing far enough, the background becomes an optical illusion effect. Sonic.EXE's head fades onto the screen, slowly zooming in before cutting to the image with a red filter as his distorted laugh plays. The game then softlocks on another Japanese message.
==Older Versions==
Sonic.EXE went through seven iterations from its initial release to its final version, with notable differences.
*The game over image is completely different in earlier versions of the game. It shows Sonic.EXE falling in front of the impaled corpses of Tails, Knuckles and Eggman. A cropped, low-res image of the ending screen of DOOM is used as the background. Pressing any key will cause Sonic.EXE's head tilted to briefly fill the screen, accompanied by multiple messages and the text "I AM GOD".
*The secret final level also appears in Version 5, however there are major differences from its final iteration. It is always played after viewing the Japanese text, not requiring any secrets to access. The visuals are completely different, with different objects in the map and Giygas as the background near the end of the map instead of the final version's optical illusion. The level simply cuts straight to a still image of Sonic.EXE at the end, rather than the slow zoom of the final version.
==Playable Characters==
*Tails Prower
*Knuckles the Echidna 
*Dr. Eggman
*Sonic the Hedgehog (secret stage)
==Enemies==
*Sonic.EXE
==Gallery==
To see the complete gallery, visit here.
File:Sonic.EXE (v7) - Screenshot - Hill - 2.png
File:Sonic.EXE (v7) - Screenshot - Hide and Seek - 3.png
File:Sonic.EXE (v7) - Screenshot - You Can't Run - 3.png
File:Sonic.EXE (v7) - Screenshot - ... - 2.png
File:Sonic.EXE (v7) - Screenshot - I AM GOD.png
==Links==
*GameJolt
==References==
Category:Games
Category:Sonic the Hedgehog Games
Category:Creepypasta Games
Category:PC Games
Category:Horror Games
Category:.EXE Games
Category:Fan Games
Category:2012 Games
Category:Unwinnable Games
Category:Games created in GameMaker