Swimming Through Sand: Pepper Grinder Impressions

Have you ever seen a game, and knew it was going to be something special? It manages to hit all the right beats while tiny fireworks go off in your brain? That’s how I felt when I first saw Pepper Grinder. There was a gif on Twitter dot com where the main character Pepper was swimming through dirt trailing behind an enormous hand drill. That image – flying through dirt at mach speed – was instantly compelling, and I’ve been loosely following Pepper Grinder ever since.

In the time since I first discovered it, I’ve only become more excited as developer Ahr Ech has continued to share their work on Pepper Grinder. Pepper can now drill through water and ice, various puzzling elements have been added, and there’s even a grappling hook. These additions have continued to fuel my anticipation.

So, with that growing excitement, I can imagine that no one will be surprised to learn that I rushed to play the Pepper Grinder demo that was announced during last week’s Nintendo Direct. Well, I say that, but that’s actually a lie. The demo was available on Steam almost 2 weeks before Nintendo’s presentation, during a Steam Next Fest, so I actually played it well in advance of that announcement.

Regardless, the timing of when I played the demo is of very little consequence. No – the important question is whether or not the 7 year wait for Pepper Grinder was worth it. Having finished the demo twice, I can say with absolute certainty that it was. Pepper Grinder was my favourite demo from February’s Steam Next Fest, and learning it’ll launch next month was a pleasant surprise.

Despite enjoying it so much, I’m not exactly sure what specifically it is about Pepper Grinder that got me so excited. Obviously I really like the core premise, and I think the demo does a fantastic job of demonstrating what the full release is going for.

The first level begins with a short tutorial, before they start diving in, and out of the dirt like a Diablos from Monster Hunter. There’s a great sense of game feel during this section. Pepper has just the right weight and momentum where she feels like she’s moving fast, but not so fast that she becomes unwieldy to control. That’s a tough balance to nail, and I think Pepper Grinder manages to stick the landing.

The weightiness of Pepper wasn’t the only thing that stood out about how Pepper Grinder feels to play though. There’s an almost old-school quality to the way the platforming actually works when you burst forth from the dirt. You’re married to whatever angle you erupt from, which is a stark contrast from how most modern platformers give players some degree of control once their feet leave the ground. This does make airborne sections of the game a little more punishing, but it was kind of refreshing to experience. Don’t get me wrong – I like the way modern platforming games feel, but applying this older methodology to Pepper’s movement just feels right

It’s not all just platforming in Pepper Grinder either. The third, and final, level of the demo focuses on platforms that flipped as Pepper collided with them. This would block certain pathways, which led to the level being a lot more about puzzling your way through it. That was a refreshing change up, and shows that Pepper Grinder has more to it than simply being a one note game about drilling through sand.

The final thing that really jumped out at me while playing Pepper Grinder’s demo was the level design. It feels like Ahr Ech has watched a handful of Game Maker’s Toolkit videos, or otherwise has a reverence for Nintendo’s level design within the Mario games. The demo has some of the most Mario feeling levels I’ve ever played in a non-Nintendo side-scroller.

There’s a few reasons why I feel Pepper Grinder’s level design is on par with Mario, but the strongest comes from how the game places its collectibles. There were numerous points throughout a level where collectible gems were placed to encourage riskier play. It’s a lot like how Mario games reward players with more coins, or an additional power-up for taking on optional platforming challenges. Players rarely need these rewards, but they help to encourage more interesting player behaviour. It was refreshing to see these optional challenges in a game outside the Nintendo platformering pantheon.

That’s just what I think however. The demo is still available on both Steam, and Nintendo Switch, so you can go play it for yourself.

Based on my own experience, Pepper Grinder has shot up to being my most anticipated title of the year, and I think there’s a chance it’ll be one of the best games about jumping released in the whole of 2024. I know that’s a bold prediction to make so early into the year, but Pepper Grinder does what it does so well that I don’t think other games will be able to dethrone it. Time will tell, but I’m extremely excited to get my mitts on the full release when it launches on March 28th, 2024.