Pepper Grinder is an fun, flowy, tightly designed 2D platformer. It has a strong major mechanic, that being of a drill named grinder, that combines a plethora of mechanics effortlessly to create fun, linear challenges. Some of these mechanics are a bigger hit than others -- I was partial to the self-launching cannons and hooks that Pepper swings in a circle around. However, a few fell either underdeveloped or don't flow well. I don't think the grappling hook works very well, and the giant robot and gun both feel a bit tacky for what Pepper Grinder seems to pride itself on.

However, when the better mechanics are combined with challenging, but not obnoxious platforming sections, and a decent variety of enemies that require good reaction and thoughtfulness, you get some of the best game design I have played this year. The soundtrack also rocks, making for some blood-pumping moments, and atmosphere-building moments too.

However, the game is not without its problems too. As I mentioned previously, a lot of the things just seems half-baked. The shops are fairly meaningless outside of a bit of customization, and the extra levels don't provide anything meaningful beyond just more level. The secrets are also occasionally fun, but when so many boil down to noticing a cracked wall and drilling through it, some of the glimmer is lost fairly quickly.

My other big issue comes with most of the boss fights. I think for starters, some of the boss's hotboxes combined with the difficulty of movement, especially in a non-linear setting, creates for some more frustrating moments instead of simply challenging. The final boss fight in particular is obnoxious, with their being a delicate precision needed to succeed, combined with an inherent difficulty of precision, that in my opinion, ramped the difficulty up way beyond what the rest of the game offers.

Ultimately, I think Pepper Grinder is really good! It takes a while to really show what it's capable of, and by the time we get to some of the really fun levels, it's over. It also strays a bit too far from what makes so many of the levels great, forcing the player to do a rail shooter or somewhat boring mech game. I think with a longer runtime, and a tighter focus, Pepper Grinder could have been something really great, and I am excited to see where the studio goes next.

Pepper Grinder is an fun, flowy, tightly designed 2D platformer. It has a strong major mechanic, that being of a drill named grinder, that combines a plethora of mechanics effortlessly to create fun, linear challenges. Some of these mechanics are a bigger hit than others -- I was partial to the self-launching cannons and hooks that Pepper swings in a circle around. However, a few fell either underdeveloped or don't flow well. I don't think the grappling hook works very well, and the giant robot and gun both feel a bit tacky for what Pepper Grinder seems to pride itself on.

However, when the better mechanics are combined with challenging, but not obnoxious platforming sections, and a decent variety of enemies that require good reaction and thoughtfulness, you get some of the best game design I have played this year. The soundtrack also rocks, making for some blood-pumping moments, and atmosphere-building moments too.

However, the game is not without its problems too. As I mentioned previously, a lot of the things just seems half-baked. The shops are fairly meaningless outside of a bit of customization, and the extra levels don't provide anything meaningful beyond just more level. The secrets are also occasionally fun, but when so many boil down to noticing a cracked wall and drilling through it, some of the glimmer is lost fairly quickly.

My other big issue comes with most of the boss fights. I think for starters, some of the boss's hotboxes combined with the difficulty of movement, especially in a non-linear setting, creates for some more frustrating moments instead of simply challenging. The final boss fight in particular is obnoxious, with their being a delicate precision needed to succeed, combined with an inherent difficulty of precision, that in my opinion, ramped the difficulty up way beyond what the rest of the game offers.

Ultimately, I think Pepper Grinder is really good! It takes a while to really show what it's capable of, and by the time we get to some of the really fun levels, it's over. It also strays a bit too far from what makes so many of the levels great, forcing the player to do a rail shooter or somewhat boring mech game. I think with a longer runtime, and a tighter focus, Pepper Grinder could have been something really great, and I am excited to see where the studio goes next.

Wow, what a cool game. Some real headscratcher puzzles with the in-game manual, but I really popped off once I figured out the "golden path" puzzle without looking anything up. Like most people, I'd recommend not looking up a guide so you feel like 3000 IQ man when you successfully solve some of these puzzles.

Though if you really want to, you can play & beat the game without engaging in the manual puzzles, but I say you'd be missing out on one of the most unique gaming experiences you can have.