Pepper Grinder review: short, sweet and incredibly neat

You know the drill

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Devolver Digital

• Developer: Ahr Ech
• Publisher: Devolver Digital
• Release: March 28th 2024
• On: Windows
• From: Steam , GOG , Humble , Epic Games Store
• Price: £13.49/€15/$15
• Reviewed on: Steam Deck

Pepper Grinder is one of those games that has so many great moments in it that recounting them would almost feel unfair to anyone hoping to play it. There are feats of platforming prowess on show here that should really be experienced fresh and unsullied by rudimentary descriptions of them, because to say anymore would be to spoil the surprise. This feels doubly important when the game itself is so fleeting in length, its brief and dizzying journey through the dirt, magma, ice and marshy bogs of this strange, treasure-stuffed island coming to a swift conclusion in just over three and a half hours. It left me wanting more the moment the credits rolled, but deep down I know it’s also perfectly formed just the way it is. Rather than outstay its welcome, Pepper Grinder shows up, performs its party trick, then gets the hell out of the way, leaving you to bask in the warm glow of a good game well done.

In fact, describing Pepper Grinder as a platformer is already underselling it. This isn’t so much a game about jumping between ledges as it is about grasping your drill and holding on for dear life as it tears through the world around you. Solid ground means (mostly) nothing to heroine Pepper and her trusty grinder, as the bulk of your time is spent boring through said ledges - as well as clearly marked pillars, mounds and banks of pliable topsoil - before erupting back out into the open again like a rocket-powered dynamo, flying upwards and sideways before diving back into the bedrock. A bit like Ecco The Dolphin, but as a tiny metal Jaws.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Devolver Digital

Each level is packed with lots of fun details, which makes the various trails of jewels all the more important to guide your eye safely through its deadly obstacles. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Devolver Digital

It’s not all churning up the landscape, mind. There is a little bit of traditional jumping to be done here, but it mostly occurs in moments of downtime, acting as an intake of breath before the next big drill sequence. And once that drill gets going, hurtling you forward automatically whenever you’re underground, you’ll barely have time to stop and think about anything else. You become a bullet of pure instinct, flying by the seat of your pants as you propel Pepper to victory.

Despite the drill having a mind of its own, however, Pepper Grinder’s controls feel absolutely wonderful - assuming you’re playing on the recommended gamepad, of course, and not actively trying to handicap yourself by attempting to use a keyboard for this. I played the entire game on my Steam Deck, and with every roll of the thumbstick I always felt in complete control of where Pepper was heading, its tight and tactile manoeuvring capable of pulling off precise swirls and loop-the-loops even on tiny slips of terrain suspended in mid-air. She’s a force of nature, old Pepper, and the speed at which you’ll need to direct the trajectory of her drill - whether that’s through static hills or falling fragments upstream - is all part of the game’s challenge.

It’s thrilling stuff, though thankfully the game gives you a helping hand on where to aim your mole-like powerhouse with its glittering breadcrumb trail of coins and jewels lodged in the ground, naturally coaxing you forward through each five-minute level. These jewels were stolen from Pepper’s ship after it ran aground on the island’s coastline by the pink-haired pirate Mint and her gaggle of green, narwhal-like goblin pals. And as she chases them deeper and deeper inland, those glinting trails will take Pepper from sandy beaches to volcanic caverns and icy mountaintops, until you reach their big, very unsubtle hideout in the poisonous marshes.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Devolver Digital

Falling ice, grapple swings, mechs and more await in Pepper Grinder’s dazzling collection of levels. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Devolver Digital

As you might expect, each of these biomes comes with their own respective traversal challenges - the usual ‘floor is lava’-style affairs, big ice blocks that need tearing apart with additional firepower, and eldritch tentacles lurking in the depths of its swampy bogs. Glimmers of additional ledges and telltale cracks in the harder, more impenetrable landscape will also lure your eye toward secret compartments containing big collectible coins. There are five of these in each level, which you can then trade in at each world’s curiosity shop for a special key that will unlock a further, even juicier level in each world. These are definitely worth seeking out, as these locked levels are arguably the standout setpiece of each world - though you can also spend your coins on extra capes and hair colours for Pepper, or trade your growing mass of jewels for stickers and additional (though temporary) life pips.

It’s all familiar platforming fare for the most part, but there are also bolder, more novel obstacles you’ll encounter that feel like pure, tailor-made adrenaline trips - like the developer has put them there mostly because they’re just heckin’ cool, and yes, they’re right. They are heckin’ cool. The key thing, though, is that they never feel pandering or gratuitous when they arrive. These are moments where the power trip feels earned, as there would’ve been plenty of moments leading up to them where you’ll have torn your hair out over a particularly tricky platforming sequence, or fallen several times in a row to a nail-biting boss fight.

Each world has its own curiosity shop where you can spend your jewels on extra health, but each pip beyond your default four is only ever a temporary bonus, as they disappear when you get hit. Still, given how many jewels you end up collecting, splashing an extra 800 on them every now and again is pocket change. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Devolver Digital

If there’s one major criticism I can level at Pepper Grinder, it’s that most of its best and spectacular setpieces rely on a perfect first-time execution to really deliver that wow factor. Mess up, and it’s back to the last checkpoint, the impact of the stunning, pixellated chaos unfolding around you lessening with every retry. It’s a flaw that can be levelled at a lot of games, in fairness, and platformers especially, but there were moments where my initial delight for a particular sequence was blotted out by a growing frustration once I’d completed it. This happened one too many times for my liking, and don’t even get me started on the bosses - all of which could have benefitted from having an emergency shop option on death to buy yourself more health, rather than return to the map, go to the shop, traipse back to the boss and endure their always slightly-too-long introductory cutscene again.

There are a few dents and scratches in Pepper Grinder’s toolkit, then, and some of them will require a little brute force to work through. But taken as a whole, three-to-four-hour experience? I wouldn’t say they’re devastating enough to spoil the otherwise immaculate performance of its drill work. Pepper Grinder is still a fun, novel and sparky breed of platformer, and one that will regularly make you break out in more smiles than anguished grimaces. Despite its hardships, you’ll still mourn when those credits roll, and if that’s not a sign of a good video game, I don’t know what is.

This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by publishers Devolver Digital.

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Pepper Grinder

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All 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints and where to get them

These areas have the highest chance of giving you Blueprints

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Looking for more Arc Raiders Blueprints? It’s a special day when you find a Blueprint, as they’re among the most valuable items in Arc Raiders. If you find a Blueprint that you haven’t already found, then you must make sure you hold onto it at all costs, because Blueprints are the key to one of the most important and powerful systems of meta-progression in the game.

This guide aims to be the very best guide on Blueprints you can find, starting with a primer on what exactly they are and how they work in Arc Raiders, before delving into exactly where to get Blueprints and the very best farming spots for you to take in your search.

We’ll also go over how to get Blueprints from other unlikely activities, such as destroying Surveyors and completing specific quests. And you’ll also find the full list of all 75 Blueprints in Arc Raiders on this page (including the newest Blueprints added with the Cold Snap update , such as the Deadline Blueprint and Firework Box Blueprint), giving you all the information you need to expand your own crafting repertoire.

In this guide:

• What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?
• Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes
• Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders Blueprints obtained from quests Blueprints obtained from Trials Best Blueprint farming locations

What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?

Blueprints in Arc Raiders are special items which, if you manage to extract with them, you can expend to permanently unlock a new crafting recipe in your Workshop. If you manage to extract from a raid with an Anvil Blueprint, for example, you can unlock the ability to craft your very own Anvil Pistol, as many times as you like (as long as you have the crafting materials).

To use a Blueprint, simply open your Inventory while in the lobby, then right-click on the Blueprint and click “Learn And Consume” . This will permanently unlock the recipe for that item in your Workshop. As of the Stella Montis update, there are allegedly 75 different Blueprints to unlock - although only 68 are confirmed to be in the game so far. You can see all the Blueprints you’ve found and unlocked by going to the Workshop menu, and hitting “R” to bring up the Blueprint screen.

It’s possible to find duplicates of past Blueprints you’ve already unlocked. If you find these, then you can either sell them, or - if you like to play with friends - you can take it into a match and gift it to your friend so they can unlock that recipe for themselves. Another option is to keep hold of them until the time comes to donate them to the Expedition.

Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes

Below is the full list of all the Blueprints that are currently available to find in Arc Raiders, and the crafting recipe required for each item:

Note: The missing Blueprints in this list likely have not actually been added to the game at the time of writing, because none of the playerbase has managed to find any of them. As they are added to the game, I will update this page with the most relevant information so you know exactly how to get all 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints.

Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders

Below is a list of all containers, modifiers, and events which maximise your chances of finding Blueprints:

• Certain quests reward you with specific Blueprints .
• Completing Trials has a high chance of offering Blueprints as rewards.
• Surveyors have a decent chance of dropping Blueprints on death.
• High loot value areas tend to have a greater chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Night Raids and Storms may increase rare Blueprint spawn chances in containers.
• Containers with higher numbers of items may have a higher tendency to spawn Blueprints. As a result, Blue Gate (which has many “large” containers containing multiple items) may give you a higher chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Raider containers (Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, Medical Bags, Grenade Tubes) have increased Blueprint drop rates. As a result, the Uncovered Caches event gives you a high chance of finding Blueprints.
• Security Lockers have a higher than average chance of containing Blueprints.
• Certain Blueprints only seem to spawn under specific circumstances: Tempest Blueprint only spawns during Night Raid events. Vulcano Blueprint only spawns during Hidden Bunker events. Jupiter and Equaliser Blueprints only spawn during Harvester events.

Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, and other raider-oriented container types have a good chance of offering Blueprints. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints have a very low chance of spawning in any container in Arc Raiders, around 1-2% on average. However, there is a higher chance of finding Blueprints in particular container types. Specifically, you can find more Blueprints in Raider containers and security lockers.

Beyond this, if you’re looking for Blueprints you should focus on regions of the map which are marked as having particularly high-value loot. Areas such as the Control Tower in Dam Battlegrounds, the Arrival and Departure Buildings in Spaceport, and Pilgrim’s Peak in Blue Gate all have a better-than-average chance of spawning Blueprints somewhere amongst all their containers. Night Raids and Electromagnetic Storm events also increase the drop chances of certain Blueprints .

In addition to these containers, you can often loot Blueprints from destroyed Surveyors - the largest of the rolling ball ARC. Surveyors are more commonly found on the later maps - Spaceport and Blue Gate - and if one spawns in your match, you’ll likely see it by the blue laser beam that it casts into the sky while “surveying”.

Surveyors are quite well-armoured and will very speedily run away from you once it notices you, but if you can take one down then make sure you loot all its parts for a chance of obtaining certain unusual Blueprints.

Blueprints obtained from quests

One way in which you can get Blueprints is by completing certain quests for the vendors in Speranza. Some quests will reward you with a specific item Blueprint upon completion, so as long as you work through all the quests in Arc Raiders, you are guaranteed those Blueprints.

Here is the full list of all Blueprints you can get from quest rewards:

• Trigger Nade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Sparks Fly”.
• Lure Grenade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Greasing Her Palms”.
• Burletta Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Industrial Espionage”.
• Hullcracker Blueprint (and Launcher Ammo Blueprint): Rewarded after completing “The Major’s Footlocker”.

Alas, that’s only 4 Blueprints out of a total of 75 to unlock, so for the vast majority you will need to find them yourself during a raid. If you’re intent on farming Blueprints, then it’s best to equip yourself with cheap gear in case you lose it, but don’t use a free loadout because then you won’t get a safe pocket to stash any new Blueprint you find. No pain in Arc Raiders is sharper than failing to extract with a new Blueprint you’ve been after for a dozen hours already.

One of the best ways to get Blueprints is by hitting three stars on all five Trials every week. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints obtained from Trials

One of the very best ways to get Blueprints is as rewards for completing Trials in Arc Raiders. Trials are unlocked from Level 15 onwards, and allow you to earn rewards by focusing on certain tasks over the course of several raids. For example, one Trial might task you with dealing damage to Hornets, while another might challenge you to loot Supply Drops.

Trials refresh on a weekly basis, with a new week bringing five new Trials. Each Trial can offer up to three rewards after passing certain score milestones, and it’s possible to receive very high level loot from these reward crates - including Blueprints. So if you want to unlock as many Blueprints as possible, you should make a point of completing as many Trials as possible each week.

Best Blueprint farming locations

The very best way to get Blueprints is to frequent specific areas of the maps which combine high-tier loot pools with the right types of containers to search. Here are my recommendations for where to find Blueprints on every map, so you can always keep the search going for new crafting recipes to unlock.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Dam Battlegrounds

The best places to farm Blueprints on Dam Battlegrounds are the Control Tower, Power Generation Complex, Ruby Residence, and Pale Apartments . The first two regions, despite only being marked on the map as mid-tier loot, contain a phenomenal number of containers to loot. The Control Tower can also contain a couple of high-tier Security Lockers - though of course, you’ll need to have unlocked the Security Breach skill at the end of the Survival tree.

There’s also a lot of reporting amongst the playerbase that the Residential areas in the top-left of the map - Pale Apartments and Ruby Residence - give you a comparatively strong chance of finding Blueprints. Considering their size, there’s a high density of containers to loot in both locations, and they also have the benefit of being fairly out of the way. So you’re more likely to have all the containers to yourself.

Buried City

The best Blueprint farming locations on Buried City are the Santa Maria Houses, Grandioso Apartments, Town Hall, and the various buildings of the New District . Grandioso Apartments has a lower number of containers than the rest, but a high chance of spawning weapon cases - which have good Blueprint drop rates. The others are high-tier loot areas, with plenty of lootable containers - including Security Lockers.

Spaceport

The best places to find Blueprints on Spaceport are the Arrival and Departure Buildings, as well as Control Tower A6 and the Launch Towers . All these areas are labelled as high-value loot regions, and many of them are also very handily connected to one another by the Spaceport wall, which you can use to quickly run from one area to the next. At the tops of most of these buildings you’ll find at least one Security Locker, so this is an excellent farming route for players looking to find Blueprints.

The downside to looting Blueprints on Spaceport is that all these areas are hotly contested, particularly in Duos and Squads. You’ll need to be very focused and fast in order to complete the full farming route.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blue Gate

Blue Gate tends to have a good chance of dropping Blueprints, potentially because it generally has a high number of containers which can hold lots of items; so there’s a higher chance of a Blueprint spawning in each container. In my experience, the best Blueprint farming spots on Blue Gate are Pilgrim’s Peak, Raider’s Refuge, the Ancient Fort, and the Underground Complex beneath the Warehouse .

All of these areas contain a wealth of containers to loot. Raider’s Refuge has less to loot, but the majority of the containers in and around the Refuge are raider containers, which have a high chance of containing Blueprints - particularly during major events.

Stella Montis

On the whole, Stella Montis seems to have a very low drop rate for Blueprints (though a high chance of dropping other high-tier loot). If you do want to try farming Blueprints on this map, the best places to find Blueprints in Stella Montis are Medical Research, Assembly Workshop, and the Business Center . These areas have the highest density of containers to loot on the map.

In addition to this, the Western Tunnel has a few different Security Lockers to loot, so while there’s very little to loot elsewhere in this area of the map, it’s worth hitting those Security Lockers if you spawn there at the start of a match.

That wraps up this primer on how to get all the Blueprints in Arc Raiders as quickly as possible. With the Expedition system constantly resetting a large number of players’ Blueprints, it’s more important than ever to have the most up-to-date information on where to find all these Blueprints.

While you’re here, be sure to check out our Arc Raiders best guns tier list , as well as our primers on the best skills to unlock and all the different Field Depot locations on every map.

ARC Raiders

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

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Pepper Grinder’s Steam Next Fest demo is 15 minutes of pure joy

You know the drill

Image credit:Devolver Digital

Steam Next Fest doesn’t officially start until next Monday, February 5th, but what the heck, everyone’s putting their demos live early this year, it seems, and another one that’s just popped the cork ahead of time is Pepper Grinder , the excellent-looking pixel platformer where you’re burrowing through bedrock with a heckin’ great drill in your hands as you attempt to steal back your treasure from some pesky pirates. I was instantly smitten with this one when it was first unveiled at the end of 2022, and the more I’ve seen of it, the more it’s risen into becoming one of my most anticipated games of 2024 . Happily, its Next Fest demo doesn’t disappoint, as it not only feels wonderful in the hands, but ooof, it really knows how to do a good plinky plink coin jostle. My word.

You’ll be hearing that sound a lot in Pepper Grinder, as the pirate thieves who made off with your stash in the first place clearly didn’t do a very good job of covering their tracks. There are coins everywhere in this game, acting as handy guide markers to help steer you through all the rock, sand and water standing in your way. With just a squeeze of the right trigger, Pepper can tear straight through it with her handy drill, and part of the challenge is guiding her through increasingly tight and tricky passageways to get to the end of each level.

It starts off easily enough, teaching you the basics of boring through dirt and boosting at the right moment so you can leap across huge gaps to continue your journey. But before long you’ll be navigating bristling briar patches that shiver menacingly when you skim too close to them, as well as lots of unexploded war bombs - though watch out for the final stretch of the third level in the demo. It’s quite the spectacle.

Image credit:Devolver Digital

That third level marks the end of Pepper Grinder’s Next Fest demo, but there’s also a shop you can hang out in where you can spend all those clinky clink coins you’ve collected on stickers and sticker boards to create fun little dioramas of its characters, enemies and backdrops. But there are also five extra secret coins in each level, too, which will require a bit more detective work to uncover. These can be spend on extra health nuggets - which you may not need at this stage of the game, but they’ll no doubt come in handy later on when the difficulty starts racheting up a notch.

Really, though, Pepper Grinder just feels lovely in the hands - definitely one for game pad rumble fans, this one - and the act of piloting Pepper through each level is just as joyous as it looks in the trailers. The plinky plink sound of the coins helps a lot, too, I should add. Like you’re whisking your hand through a pile of treasure, or (for a more mundane image) a handful of pound coins in your jeans pocket. A truly exceptional bit of sound design from developers Ahr Ech, there.

But enough of me waffling. You should just go and play it for yourself, which you can go and do right now on Steam . Still no word on when Pepper Grinder is coming out in full yet, but it should be sometime later this year.

Pepper Grinder

Video Game

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