Devolver Digital has always championed odd or unique gameplay experiences. From puzzles to horror to even just weird games you couldn’t imagine ever actually existing, they probably produce it. Now, they are venturing into the action-adventure platform genre with Pepper Grinder by Ahr Ech. This new take on the genre, which may be most well known for speedrunning and complex levels full of secrets, goes underground and quickly becomes a game that you’ll dig.
In such a short experience, Pepper Grinder quickly establishes itself as thrilling and challenging. And most critically, it is rough to control with keyboard and mouse. Take it from me. If you play this on PC, play with a controller. Controlling a grinder with eight directional movements is tough when all you can use is W-A-S-D and not a mouse. After trying both out, portions that required basically sheer luck to overcome ended up being trivial with a controller.
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Speaking of the challenges, many are already in the first couple of levels available in the demo. What’s clear is Ahr Ech loves hiding collectibles. 5 coins are hidden in each level, which are spent on health and cosmetic unlocks. They are nasty buggers that love to be in the smallest nook or cranny. Any dirt that just might look out of place could lead to a small alcove hiding a coin. Moreover, not setting up a puzzle solution correctly will reveal later that you’re missing out. In other words, replaying levels is almost necessary to get every hidden currency for those critical upgrades.
Plus, Pepper Grinder isn’t just puzzles and digging. Part of the demo involves several fights against recurring enemies, more complicated fights, and painful obstacles. The enemies fit well into puzzles by not becoming annoyances but roadblocks that must be beaten properly to pass that room’s test—particularly the mortar baddies who fire upon Pepper as she sticks her head out of the ground. You need quick movements to get Pepper underground quickly before being nailed by rains of fire. If you don’t and take too many hits, you have to retry.
Thinking quickly is critical so you don’t run out of health before the end of a level. With fast movements, being observant of your entire surroundings, and cataloging potentially missed items, that is where Pepper Grinder got its hooks in me. So far, it maintains that balance well. And keeping up that balance is where the final real test of this now highly anticipated game for me lies. If Ahr Ech keeps up a good mix of introducing new challenges without feeling overwhelming to the point of overloading the player’s brain, this game is poised to be quite a memorable experience for an already-packed 2024.
Pepper Grinder is an absolute blast with its hole-ly unique experience. Ahr Ech, so far, has found ways to stop the gameplay from dulling in unique and fun twists. The challenges always raised the bar. I just have one worry. Will the other shoe drop, and the game become overly difficult in the name of too many unique mechanics? If Ahr Ech can drill through that wall that many other games of the same ilk run into face first, this could be a highly memorable can’t-miss game.
Pepper Grinder is available in 2024 on Nintendo Switch and PC.
