I’ve had my eyes on Pepper Grinder for years at this point. It was first revealed almost 6 years ago, and it’s only recently that Devolver Digital picked it up, and we’re getting a full release soon. I had a chance to try out the opening sections of the game, and it’s some of the most fun I’ve had all year.
Story and Gameplay
The premise is simple, you play as Pepper, who has washed up on an island, only for her treasure to be stolen by the mischievous Narlings. Furious over this, Pepper, along with her Grinder, sets out to reclaim it all. The overall tone is comedic, and there are plenty of goofy characters around the island. The regular enemies, all have a small horn on their head and can grind through sand patches, similar to you, which brings us to the gameplay.
Pepper Grinder is an action platformer in which you use a grinder to grind through different forms of terrain. In the earlier levels, I grinded through sand patches, as well as water to propel myself further into the levels. You can circle around in the patches of terrain, get the extra treasure, and then use the momentum of your movement within the patch to push yourself forward.
It’s a lot of fun in practice, and the controls are very intuitive. I really appreciate how the world is built around the grinder, and even outside the platforming, you use the grinder to activate different platforms and raise the flag at the end of each level.
There are also additional medals you can earn within levels that require you to do some kind of challenging platforming maneuver. It’s similar to the strawberries in Celeste and are optional.
Graphics and Sound
Pepper Grinder uses a pixel art style that’s colorful, and the game looks fantastic. Everything is easily readable, and the crunchy feedback of grinding through things is very satisfying. The animations, character work, and terrain all blend to give a solid presentation that complements the gameplay style.
It also reminded me a bit of another game I really enjoyed called Olija, and both of these games make good use of color throughout.
Feedback
Despite being a demo, I don’t really have any feedback. I enjoyed what I played, and can’t wait to grind through the next levels!
Conclusion
So far, Pepper Grinder is living up to the hype, and it’s an incredibly satisfying, and crunchy experience with a decent amount of challenge, great art, and an addictive gameplay loop.
