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Pepper Grinder

Pepper Grinder’s innovative drilling mechanic, vibrant visuals, and fast-paced action are consistently praised by critics. While some find its short length and occasional difficulty spikes to be drawbacks, the general consensus is that Pepper Grinder is a fun and unique platformer that offers a satisfying, albeit brief, experience.

Game Info

Pepper Grinder is an action platformer designed to be alot like oldschool Nintendo titles like Donkey Kong Country, Yoshi’s Island, and Super Mario World. Pepper uses her drill (Grinder, obviously) to plow through layers of soft dirt and launch herself into the air as she maneuvers herself across the landscape of each level.

Recommended

Average Score

Total Reviews: 35

Silver TIER

47% of scored reviews fell within the range of 80 to 86 / 100

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Ratings & Reviews

35

Critic Reviews

81

Average Critic Score

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All reviews are from professional critics. Learn more about the critics VSG aggregates.

High Score

100%

Median Score

80%

Low Score

65%

What did you think of Pepper Grinder?

Player Reviews0 Votes

Tristan Ogilvie (IGN)

March 28, 2024

7/10

A short but sweet slice of propulsive platforming action, Pepper Grinder is all driller and no filler.

Abbie Stone (PC Gamer)

March 28, 2024

80/100

Five hours of fun, frantic platforming that’s unwieldy and all the better for it.

Charles Harte (Game Informer)

March 28, 2024

8/10

Pepper Grinder is an innovative indie experience, packed with tense battles, fluid platforming, and eye-catching visual design. While its short runtime left me wanting more, I’m happy with what it is: a bright action platformer that’s anything but a grind.

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Score Ranges

Read the Reviews (35 total)

Outlet	Author	Score	Date	Quote	Read
AnaitGames	Víctor Manuel Martínez García	8 / 10	03-28-2024	Riv Hester debuts with a platform game that starts from the best influences, but that knows how to stand out not for what it takes from others but for how it goes beyond its referents.	Read review
But Why Tho?	Adrian Ruiz	9 / 10	03-28-2024	Pepper Grinder is a treasure trove of excitement and charm, beckoning players to sail into its captivating world and embark on a thrilling adventure unlike any other.	Read review
CGMagazine	Eduard Gafton	8 / 10	03-28-2024	Despite the occasional glitch and the fact that it is likely going to leave players craving for more stages to shred through, Pepper Grinder is a great “drillformer” that is definitely worth picking up and seeing to the end.	Read review
Checkpoint Gaming	Charlie Kelly	7 / 10	03-26-2024	Pepper Grinder is a good video game but it doesn’t feel like a complete video game. The mechanic of burrowing away through different biomes is always satisfying as you make platforming leaps of faith between different bodies of ground. What exploration, world and mechanical growth is there is really strong, it’s just limited and brief. Fun throughout but over before you know it, Pepper Grinder is a charming title that is just missing that extra little spice.	Read review
Console Creatures	Bobby Pashalidis	Recommended	03-28-2024	Pepper Grinder is another excellent addition to Devolver’s catalogue, thanks to a brief runtime and exciting mechanics.	Read review
Cultured Vultures	Joey Rambles	6.5 / 10	03-28-2024	Pepper Grinder nails its mechanics, but its humdrum visuals and world-building stop it from being the modern indie classic that it could’ve been.	Read review
Digital Chumps	Will Silberman	9.5 / 10	03-28-2024	There’s more to Pepper Grinder than just digging. Ahr Ech successfully managed to cram fluid platforming and free-flowing traversal in ways that make its hallmark digging mechanics joyous while innovating in using the drill for other utilitarian purposes. Its 2D platforming is refreshing and rewarding when you settle into the groove of being able to move in every direction. I truly dug Pepper Grinder, and I sincerely hope that Ahr Ech continues to make fantastic retro platformers while also expanding the current universe of narwhal pirates. Hopefully those games come sooner rather than later.	Read review
Entertainium	Eduardo Rebouças	Recommended	03-28-2024	For what is on offer, there’s enough game to be had if you know what to expect coming in. It’s a cute game with a fun mechanic that is put through its motions well enough, but it lacks the depth to keep you coming back for more for more than the length of its campaign.	Read review
Game Informer	Charles Harte	8 / 10	03-28-2024	Pepper Grinder is an innovative indie experience, packed with tense battles, fluid platforming, and eye-catching visual design. While its short runtime left me wanting more, I’m happy with what it is: a bright action platformer that’s anything but a grind.	Read review
Game Rant	Shane Robert Moyer	3.5 / 5 stars	03-28-2024	Pepper Grinder does a good job of making players feel like their skills are progressing as they play through the game. It does sometimes feel like a grind, but there are enjoyable aspects to Pepper’s adventure that should be tried. The drilling as a travel tool is neat, and the boss monster’s designs and fights are entertaining, but the fun seems to fizzle out a little too quickly. Still, despite this and the game’s sometimes frustrating controls, Ahr Ech set out to create something a bit different. And while some aspects come up short, some players will find things worth drilling through to discover.	Read review
GameBlast	Farley Santos	7.5 / 10	03-28-2024	Pepper Grinder is a creative platformer that uses its unique drilling mechanics across an impressive variety of stages. The mix of fast-paced action, exploration and puzzles results in a stylish adventure full of exciting moments. The various ways to use the drill, from crossing obstacles to controlling vehicles, guarantee a diverse experience from start to finish. However, the game falters with control precision issues and frustrating blind jumps, introducing an element of trial and error that can be irritating; despite this, it manages to offer a satisfying journey, with its few extras serving as an additional incentive for the most dedicated. Furthermore, Pepper Grinder is an adventure that, despite its flaws, entertains with its creative design and unique mechanics.	Read review
GameGrin	Alana Dunitz	8.5 / 10	03-28-2024	Pepper Grinder is a unique and challenging title that has you drilling through everything to recover your stolen treasure. With great visuals and jazzy music, this is a title to check out!	Read review
GameLuster	Nairon Santos de Morais	10 / 10	03-28-2024	Pepper Grinder is simply one of the greatest 2D platformers I’ve ever played, thanks to movement that is absolute perfection and endless creativity that allows for constant reinvention in every single new level you enter.	Read review
Gamer Escape	Eliot Lefebvre	8 / 10	03-28-2024	At a $15 price tag, it feels like a light weekend thing, something you can drill through in a few nights of idle play and then pick up again whenever you have a hankering for something similar. That’s… what it wants to be. And so I have to kind of give it up for that. There are frustration points, sure, but if you like this style of platformer it simultaneously doesn’t feel like something that’s been done a dozen times before and is fun to play start to finish. Not every game manages that.	Read review
GameSpew	Kim Snaith	8 / 10	03-28-2024	If you revel in a challenge and like the idea of a platforming game that offers something totally different, you’re going to absolutely love Pepper Grinder. When it’s all going right, few games feel as satisfying to play as this: there’s nothing quite like powering up your drill to dive through the ground, popping out to jump through the air before landing into a well-placed drill again. Sometimes it’s perhaps a little too tough, but even when Pepper Grinder’s not at its strongest, we couldn’t pull ourselves away, desperate to eventually succeed.	Read review
GameSpot	Steve Watts	8 / 10	03-28-2024	Pepper Grinder is a brief but frenzied platformer that finds myriad ways to build around its inventive central hook.	Read review
GamingTrend	Jack Zustiak	70 / 100	03-28-2024	Pepper Grinder offers plenty of fun during a surface level playthrough. Once you drill into the depths of its game mechanics, however, you’ll find an overly forgiving “casual” game and a relatively frustrating “time attack” game. That said, you can collect stickers and that’s pretty cool.	Read review
God is a Geek	Lyle Carr	9.5 / 10	03-28-2024	Pepper Grinder is one of the most entertaining 2D platformers I’ve played in ages, with fantastic motion and seriously creative and varied stages.	Read review
Hardcore Gamer	Jordan Helm	4 / 5 stars	03-28-2024	Clocking in at around three to four hours to roll credits, Pepper Grinder while not the lengthiest of platforming titles thanks to its prime drilling mechanic, makes said run-time a thoroughly satisfying one. A core premise that’s aided on top by a thoughtful approach to level design, not to mention a knack for continually chopping and changing the formula with one interesting new element or introduction of a neat gimmick after another. Developer Ahr Ech’s ability to conjure so much from out so little a detail as how a character moves should not go unnoticed. Serviceable, bordering on unnecessary, its secondary content might feel, Pepper Grinder’s ability to be just as satisfying to control, as much to work out and eventually beat, grants this particular drill-powered adventure a well-deserved identity all its own.	Read review
IGN	Tristan Ogilvie	7 / 10	03-28-2024	A short but sweet slice of propulsive platforming action, Pepper Grinder is all driller and no filler.	Read review
Kakuchopurei	Jonathan Leo	90 / 100	03-29-2024	With great controls, a decent learning curve, and fun levels and lovely aesthetics, Pepper Grinder fills in the short-but-sweet arcade gaming niche that we love out of a twitch-based indie offering. Drill out!	Read review
MKAU Gaming	Yasmin Noble	9 / 10	03-29-2024	Pepper Grinder proves there’s little more thrilling than drilling for a 2-D platforming adventure. Ahr Ech and Devolver Digital have a real treasure in this one. I recommend it to players who enjoy casual chaos with a charming twist.	Read review
Nintendo Life	Mitch Vogel	9 / 10	03-28-2024	Pepper Grinder is a wonderfully inventive and fun platformer that no fan of the genre will want to miss out on. It may have a runtime that feels a little too short, but this is ultimately a deeply enjoyable, challenging, and highly replayable game with lots of personality. If you think you’d be interested, we’d suggest you pick up Pepper Grinder at the next opportunity (and there’s a even downloadable demo if you’re on the fence).	Read review
NintendoWorldReport	Neal Ronaghan	8 / 10	03-28-2024	If you’re into unique and creative takes on platforming, Pepper Grinder is well worth jumping (or rather, drilling) into. I’m not the biggest fan of the boss fights (especially the one that currently glitches out), but overall, this is a good grind from start to finish. I’d love to see more takes on drill-based platforming along these lines, though the tight package developer Ahr Ech has put together is a concentrated blast of fun.	Read review
PC Gamer	Abbie Stone	80 / 100	03-28-2024	Five hours of fun, frantic platforming that’s unwieldy and all the better for it.	Read review
Press Start	Brodie Gibbons	8 / 10	03-29-2024	Pepper Grinder is a rollicking platformer that combines some classic level design with revitalised traversal mechanics akin to Ecco the Dolphin’s nose-first ocean-cruising, except on this occasion the nose is a big, bad-ass drill that makes short work of terra and pirate terrors alike.	Read review
Rectify Gaming	Unknown	9 / 10	03-28-2024	Pepper Grinder is a great platformer with smooth gameplay and a nostalgic, pixelated art style. It’s a fantastic game to play and has the potential to go down as one of the best indie games of this year. If you’re searching for a new platformer game to play, this is the one.	Read review
Rock, Paper, Shotgun	Katharine Castle	Recommended	03-28-2024	Stuffed with great ideas and visual pizazz, Pepper Grinder is a sparky little platformer that’s over all too soon.	Read review
Shacknews	Larryn Bell	8 / 10	03-28-2024	Pepper Grinder is a digestible adventure that can be completed in about six hours. While there is some replay value to be had, the short runtime helps ensure the game does not overstay its welcome, making it perfect for those looking to play a satisfying platformer in manageable doses. Despite its brevity, the fluid mobility provided by the drilling mechanic and overall frenetic gameplay make for an engaging retro romp that will likely tunnel its way straight to your heart.	Read review
Siliconera	Jenni Lada	7 / 10	03-29-2024	Pepper Grinder is an action-packed 2D adventure blending traditional platforming with an alternate drilling mode that allows you to dive in and out of the earth like a dolphin swims through water. Switch version reviewed. Review copy provided by company for testing purposes. Pepper Grinder is a game with a good idea that generally works well.	Read review
Softpedia	Cosmin Vasile	8.5 / 10	04-01-2024	Pepper Grinder has a very good core idea and builds fun platforming levels and puzzles around its big drill. The four worlds introduce new ideas and challenges, as well as boss fights. The pixel art makes the world come alive more than the narrative.	Read review
TechRaptor	Austin Suther	8 / 10	03-28-2024	Pepper Grinder is a condensed experience but offers thrilling and unique levels. The drill is the star of the show and feels great to use as a tool.	Read review
TheGamer	George Foster	4 / 5 stars	03-28-2024	Even if some of the boss battles and tougher platforming sections made me want to cry and the relatively short run-time had me done with Pepper’s adventure quicker than I’d like, Pepper Grinder is one of the most entertaining 2D platformers in recent memory and one that pushes its unique selling point to the limit. Pepper Grinder is drill-y good.	Read review
VGChartz	Evan Norris	7 / 10	03-28-2024	Thanks to Riv Hester’s diligence, Pepper Grinder succeeds mechanically, creatively, and visually. It could do with better unlockables and would certainly benefit from a longer running time, but overall it hits the right marks.	Read review
WayTooManyGames	Aaron Price	9 / 10	03-28-2024	If you like Super Mario World, or precision platformers such as Celeste, then boy, have I got an absolute treat for you. Pepper Grinder is the kind of game you’ll instantly start to scream about from the rooftops. It’s got fast-paced action, its worlds are vibrant and diverse, and it’s got a banging soundtrack to top it off. Not to mention the fact I’ll always have a soft spot for anything that includes narwhals. Pepper Grinder is already one of my top contenders for my favourite game of the year, especially being a replayable-as-hell Switch banger I can pick and play for ten to fifteen minutes at a time while I’m sat on a bus or train.	Read review

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Pepper Grinder

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Ratings & Reviews

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Find the games you're looking for

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Pepper Grinder

Critics Consensus (Play It)

Game Info

Silver TIER

Where to Play

Ratings & Reviews

35

81

Where to Play

Embracer Group CEO Takes Responsibility for Restructuring, Announces Major Company Split

Assassin’s Creed Jade Release Likely Delayed to 2025 as Tencent Shifts Focus

PlayStation 5 Pro: Leaked Specs Reveal a Major Upgrade, Release Hinted for Holiday 2024

Xbox Games Hit New Platforms: Pentiment, Hi-Fi Rush, Sea of Thieves, and Grounded Coming to Other Platforms

Xbox Reaches Beyond Consoles: 4 Games to Rival Platforms, and What It Means

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