Summary
Pepper Grinderis a 2D action platformer with one foot in the past and another in the present with its blend of traditional and modern platforming elements. InPepper Grinder, players take on the role of the titular pirate protagonist Pepper, who becomes shipwrecked with her treasure stolen by a group of mischievous Narwhals. Armed with her trusty drill Grinder, Pepper traverses all kinds of terrain to reclaim what is hers through the game’s unfolding mystery, from surfaces including water, land, to even snow-covered plains, to name a few. Pepper can use the Grinder on various machines to use in platforming, such as snowmobiles and even Mechs.
In an interview with Game Rant, solo developer Riv Hester from studio Ahr Ech spoke more about howPepper Grindermixes traditional and modern elements, as anindie platformerthat’s got classic retro platforming elements at its heart combined with the modern mechanics of its drill mechanism.
Pepper Grinder’s Traditional Platforming Elements
Foremost,Pepper Grinderlooks toinclude elements that players might expect of a traditional 2D platformer, and it draws upon various classic titles as sources of inspiration but brings them up to date with modern platforming standards. When asked about the process of looking at some of the older game inspirations forPepper Grinder, likeEcco the Dolphinand Dig Dug, Hester explained howPepper Grinder’s mechanics are “classic at heart” with modern mechanics designed to create a smooth platforming experience compared with some of the more typical and often bumpy features of classicplatformer games:
I think the mechanics themselves are still pretty classic at heart, but modern tech makes it a lot easier to smooth out the bumps. A lot ofPepper Grinderis about finding a good flow through a level by leveraging movement mechanics that would have been very hard to achieve on old hardware without it feeling stiff or stuttery.
Pepper Grinderalso includes classic game features such astime trials, where players can challenge their speed and skill with Pepper’s drill. Hester added the drill mechanism is purposely designed to go faster on land and enable her to jump higher. Hester went on to explain how this impacts the platforming elements, which, altogether, seem perfect setup for speedrunning challenges:
From a design perspective, that means I can set up interesting platforming sequences based on the placement of drillable dirt or sand or mud or whatever vs impassable stone. It’s a repeating cycle of setup (containing the player with stone for some traditional platforming) and payoff (the player breaking free of containment by reaching something they can drill into). The really satisfying bit is when you get skillful enough with the drill to skip setup breaks and extend the payoff as long as possible, which incidentally is the cornerstone of getting good times in each stage’s Time Attack mode!
Pepper Grinder And Modern Platforming Mechanics
The fluidity of Pepper’s drill mechanism also lends itself well to navigating the terrain, whether digging through land or swooping through water, the latter being something that’s often challenging invideo games with water levels. Yet, Hester explained how the grinder tool lent itself toPepper Grinder’s water exploration, something that also allows for faster platforming:
And while navigating through water does slow pepper down, swimming is really just drilling again but with the added complication that you have to work against sinking as you move. Most water sections are short and used mindfully in relation to the pacing of the stage, and when there are long, open stretches of water there’s an optional way to go MUCH faster if you can figure it out. I think that keeps it fresh!
WhilePepper Grinderutilizes modern drilling mechanics, such as those that enable morefast-paced gaming, it’s built upon classic platforming mechanics at heart, a combination that could appeal to fans of retro and modern platformers alike.
Pepper Grinderreleases June 16, 2025, for Nintendo Switch and PC.
