Sonic Mania's primary mode of gameplay is the appropriately-named Mania Mode. Sonic, Tails, or Knuckles go through stages (referred to as Zones) split into parts (called Acts). At the end of Act 1 is a mini-boss while Act 2 features the stage's final boss, but the heroes must first reach these bosses by dodging obstacles unique to each stage. Sonic Mania Plus adds Encore Mode, which features slight rearrangements in each stage as well as the addition of two new playable characters, Mighty and Ray.
After clearing the game, any stage can be returned to via the corresponding save file. Cleared stages can also be played in the game's Time Attack mode.
