During the recent Xbox Developer Direct, Double Fine Productions—the visionary studio behind Psychonauts 2—surprised audiences by unveiling Kiln, a whimsical multiplayer “pottery party brawler.” In this unconventional title, players transition from the potter’s wheel to the battlefield, sculpting custom vessels like plates and jugs before entering a competitive arena to extinguish the opposing team’s kiln.
Double Fine describes Kiln as a title that “celebrates both Creativity and Destruction,” leaning into the inherent satisfaction of crafting something beautiful only to watch it get smashed to pieces. The sculpting process is deeply strategic; players must decide whether to forge massive, tank-like pots or agile, ninja-inspired saucers to outmaneuver their rivals.
Personalization is a major focus, allowing players to adorn their ceramic warriors with an array of glazes, handles, intricate patterns, and stickers. The studio has confirmed that additional cosmetic options will be introduced via future updates to keep the creative possibilities expanding.
The concept for Kiln originated during Double Fine’s signature Amnesia Fortnight, an annual internal game jam where the team experiments with bold new ideas. According to founder Tim Schafer, this incubator has previously birthed full-scale hits such as Costume Quest, Spacebase DF-9, and Headlander, while other prototypes have inspired memorable segments in larger games, such as the “Compton’s Cookout” level in Psychonauts 2.
Kiln is scheduled for a Spring launch on PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X|S. The game will be highly accessible at launch, appearing on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and supporting Xbox Play Anywhere.
Source: Polygon
