Kiln Review

A chaotic yet creative multiplayer brawler that molds pottery into competitive mayhem.

For decades, Double Fine has been known for taking chances that most studios wouldn't even consider. From the cult hit Psychonauts to the heavy-metal nonsense of Brutal Legend, the company has always leaned toward originality, often putting its own ideas ahead of what would be successful.

Kiln keeps up that practice, but in a very different way. Kiln is not a story-driven adventure or a weird single-player experience. Instead, it is a multiplayer-only game based on an idea that sounds almost like a joke: what if pottery class turned into a competitive online brawler?

Kiln did not start out as a huge AAA idea. It started as a small test project during one of Double Fine's internal game jams, where developers are encouraged to try out new mechanics and ideas quickly. That test turned into a full-fledged release over time.

Kiln doesn't give up on its strange roots; instead, it embraces them, making it what it is: a wild, creative multiplayer game where making your character is just as important as fighting with it. This history is significant because it highlights that the game is good at and what it cannot do.

You can tell the design was made with a lot of love and deep thought, but it also feels like a prototype that has grown up rather than a full-blown hit. From the very start, it is clear that Kiln is not a story-first game. There is a basic idea that spirits live inside pottery forms and compete in venues built around kilns. But this idea is more for taste than for substance.

You're not here for a complicated story or emotional journeys.

Instead, the story is just a fun background that makes sense of the games. Fun world-building and mythological references show up here and there, but they never take center stage. If you were hoping for a story like the ones in Double Fine's other story-first games, you might not like Kiln.

The minimal narrative method works well enough, though, if you don't mind games where the story is mostly there to support the gameplay. The game systems in Kiln are what really bring it to life. The game is actually about creating and controlling new characters that you make out of clay, basically pottery-based.

You use a virtual pottery wheel to shape clay before starting matches. You can make anything from small, quick vessels to big, heavy structures. This isn't just for looks. How well your creation does in battle is directly related to its size and shape. Smaller pots move faster and more easily, so they can get through tight areas without getting damaged.

Even though bigger pots move more slowly, they hit harder and can carry more water, which is necessary to reach goals. Medium builds try to find a middle ground between these two extremes. They give you many choices, but they also make you very specialized. As the main game, Quench, goes on, two teams try to put out the other team's kiln by collecting water.

As you move across the map, you collect water from certain spots and try to get it to the enemy's kiln while protecting your own.

This keeps the offense and defense on edge at all times. You never just fight for the sake of fighting; everything you do helps you reach a bigger goal. The matches move quickly and never feel like they're stopping. You are making choices about where to stand, what resources to gather, and when to attack, even when you are not directly fighting enemies.

The combat in Kiln is meant to be simple. You have a basic attack, a jump, a rolling move that works like a sprint, and a unique ability that depends on the shape of your pot. The game is very easy to get into because it is so simple. You can start matches right away without having to learn complicated controls.

But because the game is so easy to play, some of its flaws become apparent. The fighting can get boring after a while, especially if you play for a long time. The different pot builds, not the fighting system itself, are what give it a lot of variety. You stand out when you have special skills.

A pot in the shape of a bottle could slash like a sword, while another shape could use area-of-effect attacks or heavy swings. It's fun to use these skills, especially when they fit with the way you like to play. Balance, on the other hand, can feel off sometimes. The core fighting system isn't very deep, so some builds seem to work better than others.

This makes counterplay less complex than it could be at times. Also, collision recognition and hit registration can sometimes feel unreliable. This is especially noticeable when many people are playing at the same time. It's not like most other puzzle games, where you have to answer questions or fix things that are wrong in the world.

The "puzzle" in the game is how you devise a strategy for each match.

You have to choose how to build your pot, move around the map, fight enemies, and prioritize goals. The maps feature many ways to get around, such as narrow passageways for smaller builds and wide-open areas where bigger pots can take over. This makes the game feel like an indirect puzzle.

Where your success depends on how well you understand how your build interacts with its surroundings. Your Kiln level goes up as you gain experience, which you can use to buy new tools, cosmetics, and pots. It's fun to make early progress because you quickly get access to new features and ways to customize the game.

After playing a few games, you can unlock different clay sizes that have a huge effect on the game. As you move forward, however, the pace slows down. After some time, you might feel like the rewards aren't as exciting as they were at the start of the game. The game doesn't have pay-to-win features because it focuses on small unlockable items.

But it needs more fun ways to move forward, like daily tasks or more reasons to keep coming back. Kiln has a style that is dressed-up and bright, which fits its mood. It looks like the art direction is toward cartoon-like shapes and patterns. This makes each pot look and feel different.

The animations are one of the best parts, especially the way the spirit figures inhabit the pottery forms.

The movements are lively and a little off, which adds to the charm. Even though the visual style is really good, the game occasionally has technical issues. Drops in frame rate, lag, and slow menu changes can make the experience feel less enjoyable than a whole new game.

It's not impossible to play the game because of these issues, but they are noticeable and slow things down. The sound design in Kiln complements its look. When you're in a fight, the sound effects are clear and satisfying. You get to know when the attacks hit or powers start to work. The music maintains a light, lively tone that adds to the game's fun mood.

Even though some of the songs might not be very memorable, the album does its job well by lifting the mood without being too much. Voice-overs and background sounds in the central area give Kiln life, and even in this strange world, they make you feel as if you are in a lively one.

Kiln's attitude is one of the things that make it so appealing. The game has a lot of Double Fine's signature charm, from the silly design of the hub area to the funny interactions and visual gags. It really makes you happy to see the weird things other users bring into fights.

This social aspect makes the game more interesting, as each match feels a little different due to each player's design and techniques. The worst thing about Kiln is its medium. The game had just one major mode and a few maps when it first came out. Even though these maps are well-made, they become less varied over time.

The main gameplay loop is fun, but if there aren't any other modes or major changes, it could get boring.

This is especially important for a multiplayer game, where a wide range of material is key to keeping people interested over time. Kiln looks like a game that has a lot of potential but hasn't been fully developed yet. The base is actually really strong, with a new approach to its core and a unique character.

Even though it also feels like it needs a little bit more time to build up and improve its processes. The experience would be much better with more game options, better performance, and more in-depth combat mechanics. Kiln is a brave and creative online project that turns a strange idea into a fun gameplay loop.

The creativity and charm are great, but the material and technical polish aren't as good. If you're okay with some flaws and like having unique shared experiences, Kiln has a lot of fun things to offer. But if you want a fully finished or full-of-content game, you might not like it the way it is now.