PEPPERED: an existential platformer

About

PEPPERED: an existential platformer is a single player action game. It was developed by Mostly Games and was released on April 7, 2025. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

PEPPERED: an existential platformer challenges you to save the world in a single, high-stakes run where every choice and failure shapes the branching narrative. As an office intern labeled a terrorist, your decisions influence multiple endings and unique story routes. Intense platforming and one-shot boss battles demand precision, with no room for retries.

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Play Modes

Single-Player

PEPPERED: an existential platformer screenshot

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95%

Audience ScoreBased on 422 reviews

story89 positive mentions

grinding7 negative mentions

Peppered features a charming story with humor and emotional depth, making it engaging and memorable.
The game has beautiful pixel art and a unique art style that enhances the overall experience.
Multiple endings and choices that matter add significant replayability, encouraging players to explore different paths.

The platforming mechanics can feel clunky and frustrating at times, detracting from the overall gameplay experience.
Some players may find the golf mini-game sections to be tedious and out of place within the context of the platformer.
Replaying sections to achieve different endings can become repetitive, especially with unskippable cutscenes.

story
197 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
53%
2%
The game's story is widely praised for its engaging narrative, humor, and emotional depth, with many players appreciating the branching paths and multiple endings that allow for meaningful choices. While some critiques mention underdeveloped characters and a desire for deeper exploration of certain storylines, the overall consensus highlights the story's charm, creativity, and ability to evoke a range of emotions, making it a standout feature of the game. The combination of well-written dialogue, captivating art, and a unique premise contributes to a rich storytelling experience that resonates with players.
- “The story is witty and fun, while managing to be quite deep.”
- “The characters are lovable, the character designs are amazing, the humor is hilarious, the plot is great, the choices actually do matter, challenging at points without being too difficult, use of singular they to refer to the main character, 11/10.”
- “Peppered is a choice-based platformer with a particular focus on characters and how your choices will shape the story.”
- “The one character we've spent the most time with -- the police officer -- disappears, and the overall shape of the story remains frustratingly vague.”
- “Characters are underdeveloped, themes are introduced but not meaningfully connected to each other or to the plot, and the storytelling feels scattered.”
- “The story was shorter than I hoped for, the paths were shallower than I hoped for, the choices were fewer than I hoped for, and the repetition necessary to get the different endings was far less satisfying than I hoped for.”
humor
109 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its cleverness, blending dark and existential themes with lighthearted moments that keep players engaged. Many reviewers highlight the well-written dialogue and lovable characters, noting that the humor enhances the overall experience and complements the game's emotional depth. Overall, the comedic elements are described as both funny and thought-provoking, making the game a delightful and memorable adventure.
- “The inspirational dark humor of ending 2 appealed to me very much, and the general overarching theme of 'don't spend your whole life doing things you don't enjoy' is a delight.”
- “Very funny, unpredictable, well written, and fun throughout every ending I achieved.”
- “The humor is on point, a bit cliché but without being over the top and bothersome.”
gameplay
107 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
51%
5%
The gameplay in this title is characterized by a mix of engaging mechanics and varied level designs that keep the experience fresh, though some players find the platforming basic and occasionally tedious. While many appreciate the smooth controls and the integration of narrative elements into gameplay, there are critiques regarding certain gameplay shifts, particularly the introduction of golf mechanics that some feel overstays its welcome. Overall, the game balances humor, story, and gameplay, making it enjoyable despite some noted limitations.
- “Levels are not too difficult, and each has its own mechanics, keeping every level feeling fresh.”
- “Between the great gameplay and wonderful story, I couldn't put this game down until I had gotten all the endings. Pick this up!”
- “The gameplay is fun, the movement is rich and fluid, there's plenty of depth to the gameplay and endings, and there's so many tiny details that scream passion and dedication.”
- “The mechanics are pretty limited and the difficulty is essentially non-existent as there is a checkpoint almost every screen.”
- “Gameplay sometimes feels tedious, but characters, location design, story, pixel art... all of it is precisely correct, perfect even.”
- “I actually was really looking forward to this game and I really started to like it but then when you get to world 4 the gameplay loop completely changes into... golf... and it outstays its welcome.”
music
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
74%
20%
6%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its engaging and atmospheric soundtrack that complements the gameplay and story. The chiptune and original compositions are noted for their emotional depth, enhancing key moments and creating a unique identity. Overall, the soundtrack is described as catchy, soothing, and a standout feature that significantly contributes to the game's charm and immersive experience.
- “The pixel art is detailed and expressive, and the chiptune soundtrack has a surprisingly strong identity.”
- “The soundtrack is great and the art style is very pleasant!”
- “The amazing art, the music, and all these beautiful and goofy characters are some of the highest quality out of any game I've played.”
- “The soundtrack I feel isn't anything to write home about like some other games, but it was never bad or anything like that (though sometimes it seemed to cut out if you reloaded your game? Probably a bug).”
- “Music is chill and especially soothing in the case where you spend half an hour grinding/reloading to do one thing (e.g. certain boss fight) right.”
- “The OST is also another critical point.”
graphics
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
32%
9%
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals, charming art style, and meticulous attention to detail. Players appreciate the vibrant character designs and the overall aesthetic, which contribute to an engaging and immersive experience. The combination of beautiful animations, a fitting soundtrack, and a whimsical art style enhances the game's appeal, making it a standout in the indie scene.
- “The art style and pixelated visuals of the game are made with such attention to detail that it is almost a shame that this game does not have the acknowledgment it deserves.”
- “The artwork and character designs are gorgeous, the story is so engaging, and the world it's set in is exciting and wonderful.”
- “This game is just a beautiful time with amazing graphics, great humor and comedy, and moments that feel alive and hit you in the heart.”
- “The graphics are very cute, and it's very obviously a labor of love.”
- “The graphics and unique character designs give it a good charm.”
- “Graphics: pixel”
emotional
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its blend of humor and emotional depth, featuring a heartwarming story that balances lighthearted moments with poignant themes, such as mortality and morality. Players appreciate the emotional sincerity woven into the narrative, which evokes a range of feelings without overwhelming the overall fun and whimsical tone. The characters' experiences and interactions provide touching moments that resonate, making the game both entertaining and thought-provoking.
- “And it has a few touching moments slipped in as well, being a game about trying to keep death itself contained.”
- “I think there was something about seeing characters excitedly recount all the mundane stuff they could do, certain in life again, was touching.”
- “Very fun and honestly got me emotional in some parts and endings.”
replayability
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
18%
27%
The game is praised for its high replayability, featuring multiple endings, branching paths, and engaging story elements that encourage players to explore different outcomes. While some reviews note that it focuses on replayability, there are mixed opinions on its execution. Overall, players find the combination of entertaining characters, humor, and secrets makes it a worthwhile experience for those who enjoy replaying games.
- “The game has multiple endings, which adds replayability.”
- “It has a ton of personality put into it, and has many branching paths and endings, for a good amount of replayability.”
- “The game focuses on replayability but fails at it.”
- “The only thing I can say is the 'one shot' aspect is taken with some salt, more so one shot at every event and not one shot in the entire game. Even then, that just adds a lot of replay value and makes getting all endings worth your time. The game itself isn't super long, but the amount of endings, things to explore, and little things to see add up into a time well worth $20.”
- “Peppered is a delightfully engaging, quirky, humorous, and sometimes challenging experience; with lots of replay value through branching paths, multiple endings, and lots of secrets.”
character development
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
89%
11%
Character development in the game is highly praised, with players noting the lovable and beautifully designed characters that enhance the engaging plot. The choices players make significantly impact the story, adding depth to the character interactions and overall experience. The combination of humor, stunning artwork, and a captivating world contributes to a rich and immersive character-driven narrative.
- “The characters are lovable, the character designs are amazing, the humor is hilarious, the plot is great, the choices actually do matter, challenging at points without being too difficult. 11/10.”
- “It does a great job in the way of character development and making a map that feels worth exploring and things worth interacting with, so make sure to comb those corners for things you missed.”
- “The character designs, animations, backgrounds; everything feels coherent and looks amazing!”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
88%
Reviews indicate that while the game features engaging elements like character design and story, the grinding aspect can feel tedious and repetitive, particularly when replaying sections for multiple endings. Players note that certain gameplay mechanics, such as instant death traps, contribute to a frustrating experience rather than a rewarding challenge, although some improvements have been made to reduce grindiness in specific levels. Overall, the grinding can detract from the enjoyment, despite the game's other strengths.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “It has multiple endings with different routes to reach them, but going through all the sections again is tedious.”
- “The reliance on instant death lasers, shocks, and traps is poor game design that makes the platforming sections feel tedious instead of challenging or rewarding.”
- “Music is chill and especially soothing in the case where you spend half an hour grinding/reloading to do one thing (e.g. certain boss fight) right.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game "Peppered" is well-optimized, as users report no performance issues while playing on the Steam Deck, indicating smooth gameplay. The optimization supports the game's mechanics, where choices and performance are crucial, enhancing the overall experience.
- “I ran into no performance issues while running Pepper on my LED Steam Deck.”
- “Your choices and performance matter, but so is the acceptance of failure.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with users highlighting the exceptional soundtrack and unique art style that together create an immersive experience. The combination of creative gameplay further enhances this captivating ambiance.
- “Great, atmospheric soundtrack.”
- “The art and music create such a unique atmosphere, and the gameplay is super creative.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's stability is generally solid, with most players enjoying the gameplay experience; however, there are occasional bugs that can cause players to get stuck in certain areas.
- “Gameplay is really great, but there are a few buggy spots where you get stuck.”

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14h Median play time

14h Average play time

14-14h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

PEPPERED: an existential platformer is a action game.

PEPPERED: an existential platformer is available on PC, Mac OS, Steam Deck and Windows.

On average players spend around 14 hours playing PEPPERED: an existential platformer.

PEPPERED: an existential platformer was released on April 7, 2025.

PEPPERED: an existential platformer was developed by Mostly Games.

PEPPERED: an existential platformer has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

PEPPERED: an existential platformer is a single player game.

Similar games include Heartbound, Psychonauts 2, Horace, Wandersong, Dispatch and others.

PEPPERED: an existential platformer

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