Are there any real O(n^n) algorithms?

What you have coded in your example is very similar to a depth first search. So, that’s one answer.

A depth first search algorithm without any special characteristics ( like re-convergent paths that can be optimized out ), should be n^n.

This is actually not a contrived example. Chess programs operate on the same algorithm. Each move there are n moves to consider ( i.e. branches ), and you search d moves deep. So that becomes O(n^d)

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