Highlighted during the June 2022 Guerilla Collective showcase, Hell Pie is described as “an obscene 3D platformer that takes bad taste to the next level.” Developed by indie outfit Sluggerfly and published by Headup, a studio perhaps best known for backing the stylish 2021 action platformer Aerial Knight’s Never Yield, Hell Pie appears to be the cornerstone of crass, marrying a Tim Shafer-esque take on visual design to an Edmund McMillen kind of depravity. The game is slated to release later this summer, and, despite its touted grotesqueries, it’ll receive a Switch launch alongside a PC counterpart.
Hell Pie sees players assume the role of Nate, the so-called “Demon of Bad Taste.” Tasked with collecting the ingredients needed to bake a pie for Satan’s birthday, Nate, his Cherub companion by his side, journeys far and wide to find what he needs. An indie platformer that calls to mind smaller-budget hits like Kao the Kangaroo and A Hat In Time, Hell Pie looks to be a must-play for gamers who enjoy their action platforming with a side of adult humor. In a sense, it could be a sort of spiritual successor to the Rare-developed N64 classic Conker’s Bad Fur Day, a retro game that’s in dire need of a comeback.
Fans of old-school 3D platformers may also be reminded of the 2005 Double Fine epic Psychonauts. A game that took place partly in the warped minds of wacky characters, Hell Pie definitely seems to take a few games from that sixth-generation gem. Its sequel, the long-anticipated Psychonatus 2, was heralded as one of the best platformers of 2021, and, should Hell Pie be able to capture even a bit of that majesty, it’s sure to garner positive responses.
Sluggerfly actually has a bit of notoriety when it comes to the genre, as well. 2015’s Ben and Ed was a comedic game show-esque platformer that arguably beat Fall Guys to the punch by several years and picked up quite a bit of traction among the YouTube let’s play community. Yet, nearly seven years after the fact, it seems to have been more-or-less forgotten, and indie gaming fans will definitely want to check it out ahead of Hell Pie's July release.
Though Ben and Ed never saw a Nintendo Switch eShop release, Hell Pie will be making the leap to the hybrid console, which may come as a bit of a surprise given Nintendo’s historically conservative approach to potentially risque titles. That said, Nintendo has been more open to mature games in recent years, and Hell Pie seems like a great fit for a system known for hosting plenty of highly-praised platformers.
Hell Pie will be available on Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X on July 21.