Devolver Digital have been known to publish really fun games over the last few years, in the likes of Cult of the Lamb, Inscryption and Death’s Door, just to name a few. But is Ahr Ech’s Pepper Grinder one that will put the game on the list of fun Devolver games? One thing’s for certain, it’s definitely quirky and has all the typical traits of the great publisher’s style of gaming.

First off, as mentioned, Pepper Grinder is definitely a little quirky in that the main character you play uses a chainsaw drill type weapon that lets you kill enemies as well as drill through areas such as sand in the ground, amongst other surfaces as well. There are walls with paths to go through with the addition of secret cracks to collect jewels and gems to add to the collection that had been stolen from you. So while following the standard route is possible, you will want to keep your eyes open for hidden nooks and crannies, in order to get all the hidden treasures.

The story doesn’t have much of an opening animation except for the fact that you find yourself washed up on a beach with little creatures that are reminiscent of goblins, followed by another human with a type of mask that seemed to be their leader. While you’re passed out, they gather all your gems and jewels from what seemed to be your treasure box and escape with it, in which you follow them to retrieve it. To cut the story short and not give any spoilers away, the mysterious person and their team of goblin-esque figures made away with your treasures. Next minute, you’ve found your weapon and make your way to take revenge, or in this instance, your treasure back.

Similarly to Mario games, there are multiple levels that sit in a thematic “world” such as water based, iced based, lava based. And as you can guess already, each has their characteristic of the type of area or surfaces you can and can’t touch. For example, staying in the iced water levels would eventually give you damage. And though none of this is new, Pepper Grinder has made it a little more fun in terms of how you travel and grind your way through elements of each stage. The addition of a couple of extra variations in weapons also do break up the repetitive gameplay of grinding through each level. Through the worlds, you’ll find add-ons to the chainsaw grinder such as a projectile gun addition, a grapple type weapon, and even some vehicles you can ride on. And as you’d expect, each world ends with a boss fight to get to the next map/area.

Also, as expected with games in this genre, collectables are scattered across each stage in the way of coins, which could be traded for particular items from a shop found in each world. Here you’re able to purchase little quirks in the game such as costume parts like wigs and colour palettes, in order to change your character’s aesthetics. Sticker books are also available to be purchased with the gems you collect through the levels to purchase stickers which come in the random form of using a gacha capsule machine.

Pepper Grinder is definitely a fun game to play, and can be intense at times that may make players a little fatigued and have a break. That said, it feels like it’s always a lot of fun to get through each level and keep a detailed eye out for slight cracks in surfaces that could lead you to other paths in the game. The pixel art and characters are designed really well and the overall premise of the game would have most people enjoying themselves. The only downfall would be the replayability as the added extra options after are casual play or time attack, if you’re into that. And lastly, the story mode is relatively short that it’s just a little over 4 hours of game time. This game definitely makes you feel like you want a little more, but contradictorily know that there’s not much more they can add to it, which really means that it’s probably just the right amount of game time. It’s definitely a game you can put down, and easily pick up at a later time as the narrative is a real no brainer.