Boasting vibrant pixel-art and a unique drilling mechanic with silky smooth controls, Pepper Grinder is an upcoming game release with a lot of promise.
Thanks to Devolver Digital, I got to burrow into three levels of this pulverising platformer and what I unearthed was a game that made boring fun.
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Players take on the role of Pepper, a treasure hunter who washes up on an island to find that her haul has been stolen by a group of mysterious enemies. She soon comes across a surprisingly versatile drill and sets about exploring the island to reclaim her jewels.
Get On Your Grind
The drilling mechanic is what sets this title apart from the competition. By drilling into dirt, you are propelled forward with no way to slow down until you exit out the other side.
It results in a tight platforming style that feels like a mix of the demanding design of Celeste and the momentum-based movement of Ecco the Dolphin.
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You’ll later find yourself using your drill for much more, whether it’s defeating enemies, swimming through water or solving puzzles. Each stage felt like it had a new inventive way to make the gameplay feel novel.
In the final level of this preview, I had to activate a series of alternating switches while drilling my way through the stage, making sure that I was triggering the right routes to proceed.
Games like this live and die by their level design and from my small sample of Pepper Grinder, I have faith that the developer has the skills to deliver a compelling game come release.
Hidden Treasures
Pepper Grinder ticks all the boxes for replayability. The levels are filled with jewels to find and stockpile, which can be cashed in at shops for health upgrades and collectible stickers.
There’s also five giant coins scattered throughout each level, much like the K-O-N-G letters in the Donkey Kong Country series.
These are typically collected by pulling off more difficult jumps or finding secret areas, and always felt extremely rewarding.
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And there’s also a time given at the end of each level, which may open itself up to all sorts of speed-running shenanigans in the final game.
Digging The Look
The pixel art is lively and expressive, animating with a level of detail that really helps enhance the game’s sense of fluidity.
The enemy designs and their creepy sound effects have this almost grotesque quality to them, reminiscent of the indie fighter Nidhogg 2, or a 90’s Nickelodeon cartoon.
I love it when a developer doesn’t use pixel art to just evoke some Super Nintendo nostalgia but takes advantage of the simple art design to clearly convey visual information to the player, all while still achieving an appealingly modern cartoony style. From what I’ve played, Pepper Grinder has nailed it visually.
A Potential Gem
The first trailer for this game dropped in 2017, so it’s been a long road to get to this point.
The time and passion put into the project by developer Ahr Ech is evident, with its killer core mechanic that could provide a lot of opportunity for a fantastic platforming adventure.
Whether they can stretch this gameplay out into a full game remains to be seen, but I personally can’t wait to find out. Pepper Grinder launches next year on Switch and the PC.
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Quest Daily was granted access to this preview with thanks to Devolver Digital.
