Peppered:
An Existential Platformer

Peppered: An Existential Platformer (2025) is a ludicrous action game about trying to stop the God of Death. Play involves the familiar mix of running, jumping, exploration, puzzles and boss fights, but you only have one chance to succeed at each of them. It stands out for the high stakes of failure that inevitably uncovers all manner of unplanned endings and pathways.

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You play an office intern who decides it's up to them to save the world. The world responds by calling the police, hillbillies, and the media, which brands them a terrorist. It's up to you to help them succeed.

Rather than focusing on timing, reactions and platforming technique, Peppered is a game all about your ability to quickly interpret a scene and execute what needs to be done. The twist is that, unlike similar mini-game challenges, these are strung together into a coherent whole and you only get one attempt at each one. Every choice, every boss battle, and every failure impact the branching plotline and determine how the story will go and how it ends.

As you progress through multiple loops you discover just how wildly the game can branch. There are multiple endings and multiple ways to get there - sometimes taking you to completely unique locations with unique scenes, characters, or gameplay mechanics.

The result is a game where your failures matter as much as your successes. It's whacky and tongue-in-cheek but hangs together to offer a coherent whole.

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Our examiner, Andy Robertson, first checked Peppered: An Existential Platformer 7 months ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 11 days ago.