Pepper Grinder is a joint action-platformer indie game managed by Ahr Ech and MP2 Games. The latter studio acts as a support team to bring projects to fruition.
That’s all very good as this inventive platformer has a lot going for it. You can control of a little dude with a drill and DRILL your way around fast-paced stages. It’s addictive fun.
The Fast-Paced Tomfoolery of Pepper Grinder
Yes, so this launched in 2024 and is available on all consoles and PC. As with many indie games, it offers a distinct take on established genres.
You take control of your character lady and then use an increasingly inventive series of drill powerups to traverse levels. It’s like they took Windswept Wastes from Ori and the Will of the Wisps (2020) where Ori can blast underground… and turned it into a full game.
It works a treat. Pepper Grinder moves fast and you blast through levels, but there’s always a new surprise around each turn. The level design is constantly great, plus it’s a tough game. You won’t be waltzing through this, you need precision, skill, and some puzzle solving panache.
Other touches we loved were nods to SNES classic Yoshi’s Island (1995) on the level select area. Plus, some of the levels feature big bulky pixel art characters as a seeming homage to Rayman Origins (2011).
But the gameplay is where Pepper Grinder excels and it delivers everything with serious verve. Here’s a bit of everything in crunchy action so you get the gist.
It’s not a big game. There’s about three-to-six hours of gameplay here, but there’s a lot of replayability. The whole thing is crying out for speedrunning records, too, and we’re sure the speedrunning community is already all over this one.
The devs have judged it perfectly for all types of players. It’s pick-up-and-play excellence, ideal for anyone out of step with modern 2D platformers, but also packs a challenge for anyone wanting to claim expertise.
Plus, it looks great! A vibrant pixel art style. There’s also a fun little soundtrack by artist and musician XEECEE. With lots of upfront bass. It’s one of the most bass heavy game scores we’ve heard in ages.
Short but sweet, then, in classic indie game fashion. There’s a lot to come back to on a long-term basis, making Pepper Grinder a perfectly judged platformer and quite the surprise.
Gaming press reviews were favourable, most publications putting it around the 8/10 score. Nintendo Life gave it 9/10, though, and Intel handed it Best Platformer Game at its 2023 competition.
Well worth a consideration, then, and a double thumbs up from us.
