Get fired up for something completely different
By Paul Hunter
There is nothing quite like Kiln on Xbox Series X, or any Xbox console for that matter. Double Fine Productions, the creators of Psychonauts, Brütal Legend, and Keeper, has made the world's first multiplayer pottery party brawler.
The idea is this: you sculpt a ceramic vessel on a magic pottery wheel, then step into it as a spirit and join 4v4 online team battles. The shape of your pot, how wide, tall or compact it is, determines your speed, health size, water capacity, and Special Attack going into every match. So, is this fresh multiplayer idea worth firing up on Xbox? Let's find out!
In the hub area you can also find Potty, a masochistic pot that randomly spawns and can be smashed once a day for rewards like XP to level up or Chips that can be spent on cosmetics. Slip, a paint-covered dog, runs Slip's Shop, and that's where you'll spend Chips found in the hub or earned from online matches on cosmetics. It's a small cast, but the hub has more personality than you'd expect from a multiplayer-focused game.
There's an inverse relationship between water capacity and health capacity, a tall and wide pot holds more water but takes more damage in a fight. Conversely, a tiny and compact vessel holds a small amount of water, but is harder to break. Advanced sculpting tools, the Lift, Shaper, Ruler, Sponge, and Pinch, become available at Level 9 and help you to really fine-tune your creations. You store completed pots in a collection and place up to three on your Top Shelf to choose from in online matches.
Quench, currently the game's only online multiplayer mode, pits two teams of four against each other in a race to douse the enemy Kiln with water. You collect water from amphora and metal grates across the map, fill your vessel, push toward the opposing side, and splash your opponent's Kiln to weaken it. Your pot has a roll mechanic that boosts speed but be warned that this spills water, as does getting punched by opposing team members. If you completely fill your vessel with water, you can launch a Super Splash that exposes one of the three Kiln health bars, allowing your team to deal direct damage. Once you destroy bar and the Kiln breathes fire at everyone close by, so it's important to keep your distance.
Maps have paths and shortcuts only small pots can access, so team composition is key to how each match plays. In Dionysus' Boogie Lounge, the arena where stepping on lit disco tiles forces your pot to dance instead of fight, I ran a small pot all match, slipped through a side nook near the enemy Kiln at the exact moment their goalie moved out of position, and landed the match-winning douse. That kind of tactical payoff is what makes the class system fun to experiment with, and taking time to learn each map can payoff in big ways.
The five themed battle maps each have a clear, recognizable look. Set's Basement Mosh Pit is dark and loud with a central fighting pit and neon-lit speaker towers filling the background. Athena's War Room has a strategy-board aesthetic with sponge warriors you can fill with water to block off paths for the opposing team. Meanwhile, Hermes' Package Center is set in a shipping facility with treadmills moving back and forth shooting out packages you’ll have to avoid.
Turning our attention to audio, the pottery hub and wheel run on smooth jazz, and it made the sculpting feel very relaxing. Once a Quench match kicks off, the tracks ramp up in energy to get you pumped and ready for battle. Xbox Series X runs the game at native 4K and 60fps, and performance stayed smooth in every online match I played.
Final Score: 7/10 - Good
Developer: Double Fine
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Genre: Hero Shooter, Party
Modes: Multiplayer
By Paul Hunter
There is nothing quite like Kiln on Xbox Series X, or any Xbox console for that matter. Double Fine Productions, the creators of Psychonauts, Brütal Legend, and Keeper, has made the world's first multiplayer pottery party brawler.
The idea is this: you sculpt a ceramic vessel on a magic pottery wheel, then step into it as a spirit and join 4v4 online team battles. The shape of your pot, how wide, tall or compact it is, determines your speed, health size, water capacity, and Special Attack going into every match. So, is this fresh multiplayer idea worth firing up on Xbox? Let's find out!
Story and Narrative
Kiln's story is minimal and is there solely to setup the action. It starts with Celadon, a large goddess in a green pot, who wants to destroy and rebirth reality, and your pottery brawls are part of that plan. You'll mainly interact with Celadon to initiate online battles, but she will also respond to personalized pots you create in the Wedge hub zone before battle. Every pot you sculp gets a unique response specific to the colour, the handle, the spout, and the topper you chose. It's fun to hear her comments, even if they do start to repeat eventually as your creations grow.In the hub area you can also find Potty, a masochistic pot that randomly spawns and can be smashed once a day for rewards like XP to level up or Chips that can be spent on cosmetics. Slip, a paint-covered dog, runs Slip's Shop, and that's where you'll spend Chips found in the hub or earned from online matches on cosmetics. It's a small cast, but the hub has more personality than you'd expect from a multiplayer-focused game.
Gameplay and Mechanics
The Kiln experience begins at the pottery wheel where you take raw clay, shape it into a vessel, and the game assigns one of eight classes: Cup, Chalice, Bowl, Vase, Bottle, Jug, Plate, or the broad Vessel category. Each class has its own moveset and Special Attack. Three size tiers, small, medium, and large, unlock as you level up, and each one will change your vessel's speed, health size, and water capacity.There's an inverse relationship between water capacity and health capacity, a tall and wide pot holds more water but takes more damage in a fight. Conversely, a tiny and compact vessel holds a small amount of water, but is harder to break. Advanced sculpting tools, the Lift, Shaper, Ruler, Sponge, and Pinch, become available at Level 9 and help you to really fine-tune your creations. You store completed pots in a collection and place up to three on your Top Shelf to choose from in online matches.
Quench, currently the game's only online multiplayer mode, pits two teams of four against each other in a race to douse the enemy Kiln with water. You collect water from amphora and metal grates across the map, fill your vessel, push toward the opposing side, and splash your opponent's Kiln to weaken it. Your pot has a roll mechanic that boosts speed but be warned that this spills water, as does getting punched by opposing team members. If you completely fill your vessel with water, you can launch a Super Splash that exposes one of the three Kiln health bars, allowing your team to deal direct damage. Once you destroy bar and the Kiln breathes fire at everyone close by, so it's important to keep your distance.
Maps have paths and shortcuts only small pots can access, so team composition is key to how each match plays. In Dionysus' Boogie Lounge, the arena where stepping on lit disco tiles forces your pot to dance instead of fight, I ran a small pot all match, slipped through a side nook near the enemy Kiln at the exact moment their goalie moved out of position, and landed the match-winning douse. That kind of tactical payoff is what makes the class system fun to experiment with, and taking time to learn each map can payoff in big ways.
Presentation and Audio
Kiln looks great on Xbox Series X, and a big part of that is Double Fine's cartoon art direction, which is top-notch as usual for the team. Each pot class has unique idle animations and combat movesets, and I enjoyed watching the chaos of all eight pots rolling and smashing each other during matches. Celadon's character design is also excellent with her firey crown and purple sparkly hair giving her plenty of personality.The five themed battle maps each have a clear, recognizable look. Set's Basement Mosh Pit is dark and loud with a central fighting pit and neon-lit speaker towers filling the background. Athena's War Room has a strategy-board aesthetic with sponge warriors you can fill with water to block off paths for the opposing team. Meanwhile, Hermes' Package Center is set in a shipping facility with treadmills moving back and forth shooting out packages you’ll have to avoid.
Turning our attention to audio, the pottery hub and wheel run on smooth jazz, and it made the sculpting feel very relaxing. Once a Quench match kicks off, the tracks ramp up in energy to get you pumped and ready for battle. Xbox Series X runs the game at native 4K and 60fps, and performance stayed smooth in every online match I played.
The Verdict
Kiln is a fun and welcoming online game to keep coming back to. The pottery wheel is one of the most creative systems I've ever seen in a multiplayer game, and the charming presentation is exactly what you expect from Double Fine. There is only one mode at launch and the content is lean, but the post-launch roadmap includes free new maps, new Decoration and Sticker packs, the Mission Criti-Bowl feature update in summer adding Missions and a Pot Journal, and Photo Mode arriving in fall. At $19.99 with Day One Game Pass access, it's a fair price for one of the most original games on Xbox right now.Final Score: 7/10 - Good
Kiln details
Platform: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PCDeveloper: Double Fine
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Genre: Hero Shooter, Party
Modes: Multiplayer