What I know about the story for Pepper Grinder going into the demo: “Girl has a big drill for some reason.” What I know coming out of the demo: “Girl washes up on a beach, finds drill.” Which is to say I still have no idea what’s going on in this world, not that I really care. Playing Pepper Grinder feels excellent, and I was sad when the demo ended. 

The 2D world here can look like something you’ve played before, depending on where and at what moment you’d catch someone playing Pepper Grinder. But most of your time playing the game’s levels quickly becomes about the grinder itself, timing jumps and using fast reactions to dodge enemies’ traps. You can dive into sand and other soft dirt, as well as water and press a button to boost out of the surface. You’ll often look and feel like a dolphin jumping out of the ocean. However, the landing is undoubtedly a bit rougher on sand than on water. 

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Inspiration here is the obviously early days of Nintendo and Sega. Sonic and Echo the Dolphin are felt in the speed and fluidity, while Mario and DK are felt in the secrets in each stage, the world map, and the raising of a flag at the end of each stage. 

I’d like to know what boss stages look like in Pepper Grinder, as it’ll surely have them. Enemies in the levels are treated more like nuances and things to be wary of rather than a core part of the game you have to worry about. So far, this game is more a platformer than a brawler, and for that reason, it’s standing out a lot for the genre.

You can check out the demo for yourself now by heading over to the game’s Steam Page.