I can't figure out why I only like Pepper Grinder instead of loving it. It feels so tailor made for me. It's a nice little 2D platformer with shades of Donkey Kong Country inspiration that has a banger soundtrack and nice visuals. Its drill is a fantastic central mechanic that is used in a nice variety of ways. Almost every level has a new mechanic, but not in a way where they feel disconnected, there's still a nice sequential building of ideas. The drill itself is a really unique traversal method and weapon and it feels great to use for the most part. And it's last two bosses I thought were fantastic.

I really only have nitpicks with Pepper Grinder, it could be a bit longer, it's platforming not using the drill is just ok with it's jumps feeling really short, and I would say its worlds feel a bit too true to platformer tradition forest-y, fire, ice being the first three but the fire and ice especially use the drill in really interesting ways and the fourth world is like spooky, swampy, sunken city (obviously not traditional). So that's not really a big negative. Pepper Grinder really doesn't have many faults but ultimately I'm still left leaving Pepper Grinder liking, not loving it.