Kiln is odd. But that’s what you would expect from a Double Fine game. The developer of Psychonauts and Brutal Legend created an entertaining multiplayer game where you form your own pottery and fight others across space. It’s strange, but I wouldn’t have it any other way from this talented studio. Despite the extraordinary concept, the game unfortunately feels repetitive after a while, with a limited map selection and one mode. We hope that improves over time.
Before entering the arena, you’ll want to create your own pottery, and this is one of the coolest parts of the game. You can customize to a grand degree with all manner of paint styles to choose from, creative tools, and ways to form the shape of your characters. Like in real-life pottery making, you can use hands in-game to morph the character in front of you. Interestingly, the shape determines the special ability of the pottery you take over.
You have various tools at your disposal to create pots in Kiln.
While I’m not the most creative person in the world, I was still able to make unique forms of pottery, some even misshapen and irregular in form. It is quite interesting to see what other players online make. I even saw a penis in a match (because of course), which was both funny and a little alarming. Thankfully, there’s a setting you can set at the beginning that makes Kiln family-friendly. Something else I like is that you can find other players’ pot designs and add them to your own collection. There is even a trophy that encourages you to win a game with someone else’s pottery.
After making the shape of your pot, you can customize it further with stickers you unlock by levelling up and purchasing from a store with in-game currency (no micro-transactions are present from my experience, by the way).
Unfortunately, the rewards aren’t particularly the most exciting. You get basic stuff like hearts and other regular symbols you’d see from an emoji phone keyboard. However, I was surprised we didn’t get stickers referencing past Double Fine games like Broken Age or Grim Fandango. I wish progressing in the game gave you more interesting rewards. It would be cool to see a Master Chief-inspired design as Kiln‘s publisher is Xbox Game Studios.
Let’s get into the mold of the game: the party brawling combat. Similar to Splatoon, the main objective isn’t necessarily to take down enemy players. Instead, you are trying to quell a kiln by putting water into it. Each pot on the battlefield holds a certain amount of water. Smaller pots carry less but can move faster and get into hidden spots, like a mouse escaping a cat through a hole in the wall. Meanwhile, larger pots carry more health and water but move much more slowly. I typically use larger pots as a defensive option, as they usually deal more damage.
One special move has you turn into an ice cream sundae.
The first team to quell the enemy’s kiln wins. It is overall fun to strategize with a team on how to defend and attack. It’s like a MOBA but far less competitive (and mean). It would be better, however, if more communication tools were added to Kiln. I’ve played by myself during this review, and not once has a team member communicated that they needed help defending the kiln or attacking. There’s a basic emote system, but I’ve never seen it used, or it’s not effective enough at getting your attention.
Getting back to the customization of your pot, your special ability based on the composition can drastically change your gameplay. If you create a cauldron-like character, it will create a poisonous puddle on the ground that can stop foes from getting near your kiln. Meanwhile, a medium-sized pot can use a powerful sword that can dish out 50% damage to a foe’s health when charged fully. One pottery form can even use a cactus as a weapon. Double Fine’s creative juices are certainly flowing in Kiln.
They also flow into the stage design. While there are an extremely limited number of levels in Kiln, they’re all fun to play. Hermes’ Package Center has multiple treadmills with packages acting as platforms along the way. Meanwhile, Dionysis’ Boogie Lounge is a disco-themed level that forces you to dance when you get stuck on a lit-up part of the stage. Each stage is metaculously crafted with places to fight over water sources, health, and, of course the kilns.
Time to boogie.
While the game does become repetitive with its basic combat and the limited number of arenas available, Kiln certainly can hook you once you get into it. It would be even more fun with a squad, I am sure, as you can communicate with your teammates and strategize on the roles and skills you bring to the battle. There is cross-play between Xbox and PC, but it doesn’t seem like PlayStation players can squad up with them, which is a shame. It is completely cross-play when you go into matchmaking, however.
The magnificent visuals of Kiln are what you’d expect from Double Fine. They’re wildly imaginative, and there are some funny jokes like the default spirit’s butt showing while not in a pot. The way the pots are animated is fantastic. The big pots plop around in a sluggish manner, while the small pots sprint around at top speed, delivering fast blows to their opponents while fighting. Unfortunately, the game stutters at frame rate whenever the action gets hectic.
The stages are elaborate, too. For example, Set’s Basement Moshpit looks like a concert venue. White sinks from dungy toilets you’d expect from a bar are around the kiln. Subwoofers are bouncing players off trying to get health as they pump out sound. The main stage in a zebra-print carpet sinks down and lets players collect water as the sprinklers above malfunction. I’m looking forward to seeing what future stages look like. It would be cool to get one based on the Psychonauts HQ or a limited time trick or treat mode based on Costume Quest during Halloween.
Overall, Kiln is a fantastic concept by Double Fine that feels limited in scope. There is only one mode and a limited number of maps, while the progression also doesn’t have rewards worth slaving hours for. I hope it has a future, but in today’s competitive environment, it could struggle. Fingers crossed the team continues to build on this game because the foundation is extremely fun, and forming your own pots for battle is an engaging experience. I could see families having a great time with this one; a future Nintendo Switch 2 version should be a no-brainer.
Kiln is an enjoyable concept and game that’s filled with soul as you’d expect from Double Fine Productions, the creators of Psychonauts and Headlander, but it currently lacks in content, and hopefully this is something that turns around sooner than later.
Kiln is odd. But that’s what you would expect from a Double Fine game. The developer of Psychonauts and Brutal Legend created an entertaining multiplayer game where you form your own pottery and fight others across space. It’s strange, but I wouldn’t have it any other way from this talented studio. Despite the extraordinary concept, the game unfortunately feels repetitive after a while, with a limited map selection and one mode. We hope that improves over time.
Before entering the arena, you’ll want to create your own pottery, and this is one of the coolest parts of the game. You can customize to a grand degree with all manner of paint styles to choose from, creative tools, and ways to form the shape of your characters. Like in real-life pottery making, you can use hands in-game to morph the character in front of you. Interestingly, the shape determines the special ability of the pottery you take over.
You have various tools at your disposal to create pots in Kiln.
While I’m not the most creative person in the world, I was still able to make unique forms of pottery, some even misshapen and irregular in form. It is quite interesting to see what other players online make. I even saw a penis in a match (because of course), which was both funny and a little alarming. Thankfully, there’s a setting you can set at the beginning that makes Kiln family-friendly. Something else I like is that you can find other players’ pot designs and add them to your own collection. There is even a trophy that encourages you to win a game with someone else’s pottery.
After making the shape of your pot, you can customize it further with stickers you unlock by levelling up and purchasing from a store with in-game currency (no micro-transactions are present from my experience, by the way).
Unfortunately, the rewards aren’t particularly the most exciting. You get basic stuff like hearts and other regular symbols you’d see from an emoji phone keyboard. However, I was surprised we didn’t get stickers referencing past Double Fine games like Broken Age or Grim Fandango. I wish progressing in the game gave you more interesting rewards. It would be cool to see a Master Chief-inspired design as Kiln‘s publisher is Xbox Game Studios.
Let’s get into the mold of the game: the party brawling combat. Similar to Splatoon, the main objective isn’t necessarily to take down enemy players. Instead, you are trying to quell a kiln by putting water into it. Each pot on the battlefield holds a certain amount of water. Smaller pots carry less but can move faster and get into hidden spots, like a mouse escaping a cat through a hole in the wall. Meanwhile, larger pots carry more health and water but move much more slowly. I typically use larger pots as a defensive option, as they usually deal more damage.
One special move has you turn into an ice cream sundae.
The first team to quell the enemy’s kiln wins. It is overall fun to strategize with a team on how to defend and attack. It’s like a MOBA but far less competitive (and mean). It would be better, however, if more communication tools were added to Kiln. I’ve played by myself during this review, and not once has a team member communicated that they needed help defending the kiln or attacking. There’s a basic emote system, but I’ve never seen it used, or it’s not effective enough at getting your attention.
Getting back to the customization of your pot, your special ability based on the composition can drastically change your gameplay. If you create a cauldron-like character, it will create a poisonous puddle on the ground that can stop foes from getting near your kiln. Meanwhile, a medium-sized pot can use a powerful sword that can dish out 50% damage to a foe’s health when charged fully. One pottery form can even use a cactus as a weapon. Double Fine’s creative juices are certainly flowing in Kiln.
They also flow into the stage design. While there are an extremely limited number of levels in Kiln, they’re all fun to play. Hermes’ Package Center has multiple treadmills with packages acting as platforms along the way. Meanwhile, Dionysis’ Boogie Lounge is a disco-themed level that forces you to dance when you get stuck on a lit-up part of the stage. Each stage is metaculously crafted with places to fight over water sources, health, and, of course the kilns.
Time to boogie.
While the game does become repetitive with its basic combat and the limited number of arenas available, Kiln certainly can hook you once you get into it. It would be even more fun with a squad, I am sure, as you can communicate with your teammates and strategize on the roles and skills you bring to the battle. There is cross-play between Xbox and PC, but it doesn’t seem like PlayStation players can squad up with them, which is a shame. It is completely cross-play when you go into matchmaking, however.
The magnificent visuals of Kiln are what you’d expect from Double Fine. They’re wildly imaginative, and there are some funny jokes like the default spirit’s butt showing while not in a pot. The way the pots are animated is fantastic. The big pots plop around in a sluggish manner, while the small pots sprint around at top speed, delivering fast blows to their opponents while fighting. Unfortunately, the game stutters at frame rate whenever the action gets hectic.
The stages are elaborate, too. For example, Set’s Basement Moshpit looks like a concert venue. White sinks from dungy toilets you’d expect from a bar are around the kiln. Subwoofers are bouncing players off trying to get health as they pump out sound. The main stage in a zebra-print carpet sinks down and lets players collect water as the sprinklers above malfunction. I’m looking forward to seeing what future stages look like. It would be cool to get one based on the Psychonauts HQ or a limited time trick or treat mode based on Costume Quest during Halloween.
Overall, Kiln is a fantastic concept by Double Fine that feels limited in scope. There is only one mode and a limited number of maps, while the progression also doesn’t have rewards worth slaving hours for. I hope it has a future, but in today’s competitive environment, it could struggle. Fingers crossed the team continues to build on this game because the foundation is extremely fun, and forming your own pots for battle is an engaging experience. I could see families having a great time with this one; a future Nintendo Switch 2 version should be a no-brainer.
by Chris Penwell
