Pepper Grinder is a fast, fluid platformer that you shouldn’t miss

Pepper mill doesn’t need words. No dialogues or instructions are needed, because what this game entails is already in the name. Pepper’s target is shipwrecked and her treasure stolen. The goal is clear: fight her way – literally – through a pirate-infested world to get her prize back.

Pepper mill is a platform game with a twist. It takes many traditional platforming elements, such as precision and timing, and combines them with the chaos of a high-speed drill propelling Pepper through dirt, water and other elements. If we make comparisons, Pepper mill takes over the digging Ori and the will of the will-o’-the-wisps‘ Windswept Waste levels and combines it with the fluidity of Ecco the dolphin. What you get is an exciting, creative game that will keep your nerves on edge.

Created by Ahr Ech and published by Devolver Digital, Pepper mill has been in development since at least 2017, when the first trailer debuted. Watching that trailer back now, it’s clear that Ahr Ech had his concept set in stone by then, and he probably spent the next seven years iterating and polishing it. That time and dedication is immediately noticeable. Although the game only takes about four hours to play, the levels in the four separate biomes are very detailed. Spiky vines twitch as you pass, as if they want to poke you. Spindly cracks in otherwise impenetrable rocks invite Pepper’s drill, opening secret enclaves containing large, collectible coins. Radishes, grown by moles, crackle as you plow through them, with the heart-shaped radishes giving you valuable health.

Besides having a powerful drill, Pepper mill plays out like your traditional platformer: you start on a map and move through the levels until you reach the boss. Somewhere on the map you’ll find a curio shop where you can purchase temporary health (which is dispensed via a gum machine), stickers, cosmetics, or a key for one locked level per each of the four worlds using various coins found throughout. the levels. None of this changes the game; for example, you can’t buy upgrades for your drill. I used some of my coins early on to change Pepper’s hair color, then only went back to the shops when I needed health to beat the bosses (we’ll get to that later).

However, the game keeps things interesting by introducing and building on the ideas in the levels. While the first map is about getting used to the drill and thrust mechanism, elsewhere there’s a drill-powered cannon you can shoot yourself out of and a hook to swing from. These aren’t exactly drill upgrades, but sometimes you use your drill to power them. The game will change in other ways along the way. For example, Pepper is often associated with narlings, small beans with narwhal tusks. However, these little green guys will continue to evolve; At first their tusks are the biggest threat, but later they will have guns, knives or extra armor. The various additions to the narlings ensure that they move or make them unique you have to move differently. All this together means that you will be faced with new challenges as you progress through the levels.

Image: Ahr Ech/Devolver Digital

At the end of each card, Pepper faces off against a boss. For example, the first is a narling with a blaster riding an oversized beetle. To defeat him, you’ll need to dodge the narling’s blasts and be wary of the beetle’s spiked bits, while using your drill to deal damage and knock down the health bar. These boss battles are brutal and sometimes brutal in difficulty, forcing you to deal massive amounts of damage. They’re also not always particularly interesting, as there are no new mechanics: it’s largely the same move or repetitive attack. In the case of the beetle, you’re just dodging and drilling. It’s a jarring change of pace from the tough but dynamic gameplay found elsewhere in the game Pepper mill. The final boss is so frustrating that I considered giving up, leaving the game unfinished. These are the only parts of the game I wanted to finish.

That said, the boss battles are a relatively small part of the experience Pepper mill – and it’s easy to let any issues slide given how brilliant, polished and just plain fun the rest of the game is. Yes, the game can be compared to other platformers, but the way it feels to play is exciting in a way I haven’t felt in a while; the fluidity and speed are just so, so satisfying. Pepper mill is short at only four to five hours, but I found it to be a perfect amount of time to establish and repeat the core mechanics without memorizing the game. For those of you who enjoy a good platformer, you can even continue playing after you’ve rolled the credits and have fun collecting hidden coins or doing time trials.

Pepper mill was released on March 28 on Mac, Nintendo Switch and Windows PC. The game was reviewed on a Windows PC on a Steam Deck using a download code from Devolver Digital. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, although Vox Media may earn commissions on products purchased through affiliate links. You can find Additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy can be found here.