With drawing to a close, a spin-off centered on Georgie and Mandy was officially ordered by CBS earlier this year. Now, the spin-off — which the network has recently confirmed to be releasing this Fall — will be called
15.04.2024 - 20:47 / polygon.com / Devolver Digital
Pepper Grinderdoesn’t need any words. There’s no need for dialogue or instructions because what this game entails is all in the name. Shipwrecked and with her treasure stolen, Pepper’s objective is clear: Grind — literally — her way through a pirate-plagued world to get back her prize.
Pepper Grinder is a platformer with a twist. It takes a lot of traditional platforming elements like precision and timing and pairs them with the chaos of a wickedly fast drill that propels Pepper through dirt, water, and other elements. If we’re making comparisons, Pepper Grinder takes the digging from Ori and the Will of the Wisps’ Windswept Wastes levels and combines it with the fluidity of Ecco the Dolphin. What you get is a thrilling, creative game that’ll keep your nerves on edge.
Created by Ahr Ech and published by Devolver Digital, Pepper Grinder has been in development since at least 2017, when its first trailer debuted. Watching that trailer back now, it’s clear that Ahr Ech had its concept set in stone by then, and presumably spent the next seven years iterating on and polishing it. That time and dedication is immediately noticeable. Though the game takes only about four hours to beat, the levels among its four separate biomes are very detailed. Spiky vines quiver as you pass, as if they might reach out and poke you. Spindly cracks in otherwise impenetrable rocks invite Pepper’s drill, opening up secret enclaves with big, collectable coins. Radishes, farmed by moles, crunch as you plow through them, with the heart-shaped ones granting you precious health.
Besides having a powerful drill, Pepper Grinder plays out like your traditional platformer: You’ll start on a map and move through its levels until you reach the boss. Somewhere on the map, you’ll find a curiosity shop where you can buy temporary health (which is dispensed through a bubblegum machine), stickers, cosmetics, or a key to one locked level per each of the four worlds using different coins found throughout the levels. None of this changes the game; you can’t buy upgrades for your drill, for instance. I used some of my coins early on to change Pepper’s hair color, then headed back to the shops only when I needed health to take on the bosses (we’ll get to that later).
The game keeps things interesting, though, by introducing and building on its ideas throughout the levels. While the first map is about getting you used to the drill and its thrust mechanic, elsewhere there’s a drill-powered cannon that you can shoot yourself out of and a hook to swing from. These aren’t exactly drill upgrades, but you do sometimes use your drill to power them. The game will change in other ways as you go. For example, Pepper is often up against narlings, which are
With drawing to a close, a spin-off centered on Georgie and Mandy was officially ordered by CBS earlier this year. Now, the spin-off — which the network has recently confirmed to be releasing this Fall — will be called
Life By You is releasing in early access on June 4. Developed by Paradox Tectonic and published by Paradox Interactive, Life By You is a highly anticipated life simulation game that's often compared to The Sims, with some fans dubbing it a worthy competitor to the popular franchise.
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While 's player base has shrunk considerably since the game's launch in early 2024, the game's first major update may be enough to bring Trainers back with a plethora of new features and additions. Following 's runaway success, developer Pocket Pair made sure to promise the community that it intends to support and grow the experience throughout its early access period. While there was already plenty to do and see across the Palpagos Islands, Update v0.2.0.6 includes some excellent quality-of-life features to make the process of capturing and training Pals significantly easier.