![\"Kiln](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SEI_294826972-60f7.jpg\")
\n\t\tKiln \u2013 exactly as odd as it sounds (Xbox Game Studios)<\/p>\n
\t\t
\n\t\tKiln \u2013 exactly as odd as it sounds (Xbox Game Studios)<\/p>\n
The creators of Psychonauts<\/a> and Keeper<\/a> turn their hand to online multiplayer, with a very weird team game where you play as handcrafted water pots.<\/p>\n As the internet\u2019s got faster and more reliable, and the world\u2019s got more connected, multiplayer games have tracked its rise. Starting on PC, and with Xbox<\/a>\u2019s help moving to consoles and eventually mobile, they\u2019re now enjoyed by every demographic, from grandmothers playing Texas Hold \u2018Em to school children crowding out Fortnite<\/a>. They\u2019ve become a place to compete, co-operate, and socialise.<\/p>\n Most competitive online games let you choose from a range of characters, all of whom are either perfectly equal, their differences purely cosmetic, or constitute a more varied roster with a balanced set of strengths and weaknesses, that\u2019s carefully metered to make each round of the game fair. That all goes out of the window in asymmetric games, which pit a single, incredibly powerful player against a flock of underpowered challengers. But rarely do multiplayer games give you as much free reign as Kiln, which lets you personally create the clay pots you fight as.<\/p>\n In its pottery-themed 4v4 battles, each team defends a flaming kiln while trying to douse the opponent\u2019s base in water, extinguishing its flames. To do that, each player controls a spirit that inhabits a clay pot, hermit crab-style. Once in the pot, they can run about the game\u2019s cramped, chaotic arenas, first in search of smashable water jugs or fountains, then once topped up, heading for the enemy kiln.<\/p>\n During each round your time\u2019s split between trying to prevent enemies getting any water into your kiln\u2019s firey mouth and attacking theirs. Although arenas are small, they\u2019re filled with level furniture, much of which is in constant motion, making the action both dynamic and frenetic. You also have to deal with the physics of running around while keeping as much water as possible in your pot.<\/p>\n Each clay vessel has three ways to strike opponents, which are in order of power: basic, jumping, and special attacks. Specials take precedence over ordinary attacks, but take time to charge up, during which you\u2019re vulnerable. And even though jumping attacks are slightly more powerful, they also involve slopping precious water if your jug\u2019s full when you strike.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tExpert, exclusive gaming analysis\t\t\t<\/p>\n Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter<\/a> for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n When you\u2019re on the receiving end you can simply run in the opposite direction but under prolonged assault you can also roll, either briefly or for as long as there\u2019s an unobstructed path. Naturally, that means you lose your entire load of water, but if you\u2019ve already taken damage it\u2019s a useful last resort to get yourself out of trouble.<\/p>\n The shape and size of pot you make informs its function in your team. Small capacity means higher health<\/a>, and vice versa, so generally you want your largest urns gathering water and hurling it into the enemy kiln, while smaller more robust crockery defends them and your home kiln. To add flexibility to that process, you can sculpt your own pots, three of which you can store on a shelf for use during battle, optionally switching when you respawn.<\/p>\n The process of actually sculpting new pots is wonderfully intuitive in its use of the left stick to pull virtual cartoon hands around your blob of clay as it spins on the potter\u2019s wheel. Dragging left or right extends the bowl outwards, while moving vertically raises or lowers its top. The stats for each of your handmade ceramic masterpieces are shown as a slider with volume of water on one side and health on the other. The larger the capacity, the more easily destructible it will be.<\/p>\n \t\t In the game\u2019s frantic showdowns you\u2019ll often spot the other team using tactics that can be rebuffed by switching to other pot designs, either to get aggressive with their large volume water carrying attempts, or to take advantage of negligent defence to pour as much fluid as possible into their kiln while they\u2019re distracted.<\/p>\n The size and shape of your pot also governs its special move. These include a tornado<\/a> spin for top heavy pots, sword thrusts for tall thin ones, aimed strikes for medium vases, and a bullhorn that knocks back enemies in its cone of noise for trumpet-shaped creations. Some are undoubtedly a lot more useful than others, but as with all multiplayer offerings, tweaks, additions, and new content are likely to iron out any initial kinks.<\/p>\n Between competitive matches, there\u2019s a hub area where you can sculpt and fire new pots, buy cosmetic upgrades from a friendly dog called Slip, and kick about a beachball or two should you feel so inclined. It\u2019s all very much in keeping with Kiln\u2019s sense of fun and silliness, in a game that\u2019s more concerned with entertainment than the rigours of serious competition.<\/p>\n For younger potters there\u2019s a moderated mode where everyone\u2019s crockery is represented by a preset styling for small, medium, and large pots, preventing any of the game\u2019s more phallic designs from polluting impressionable minds. It has no effect on gameplay, although it does mean you won\u2019t be able to see anyone else\u2019s way-out decorative approaches, whose more outlandish options are unlocked as you level up.<\/p>\n It\u2019s fun, even if most rounds tend to feel a bit shapeless, descending rapidly into brawls, depending on how organised the other team is. It\u2019s a perennial issue with online games unless you\u2019re playing with a tight knit group of friends, and adds a familiar if unwelcome random factor to proceedings.<\/p>\n Given the nature of online games, Kiln is likely to change considerably as Double Fine add new arenas and improve interactions. As it stands it should be an instant download for anyone with Game Pass<\/a> and a free couple of hours. For everyone else, it\u2019s a chunk of delightfully offbeat knockabout fun. It will be interesting to see how it evolves over its first few months in the wild.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tKiln review summary\t\t\t<\/p>\n In Short: A genuinely different kind of team multiplayer game, with exactly the sort of thoughtful weirdness you\u2019d expect from Double Fine.<\/p>\n Pros: Fun, easy to understand mechanics and matchmaking that already feels busy. Great starter line up of small, intense arenas. Sculpting your own clay pots to fight with is a neat gimmick.<\/p>\n Cons: Rounds don\u2019t feel particularly tactical and that lack of depth may affect longevity. As with most team multiplayer games, you\u2019re at the mercy of others\u2019 skill and attention.<\/p>\n Score: 7\/10<\/p>\n Formats: Xbox Series X\/S (reviewed), PlayStation 5, and PC \t\t Email\u00a0gamecentral@metro.co.uk<\/a>, leave a comment below,\u00a0follow us on Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n To submit Inbox letters and Reader\u2019s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our\u00a0Submit Stuff page here<\/a>.<\/p>\n For more stories like this,\u00a0check our Gaming page<\/a>.<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"Kiln](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SEI_294826961-80ab.jpg\")
\n\t\tA different kind of character creation screen (Xbox Game Studios)<\/p>\n
Price: \u00a315.99
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Developer: Double Fine
Release Date: 23rd April 2026
Age Rating: 7<\/p>\n![\"Kiln](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SEI_294826969-2a9f.jpg\")
\n\t\tGet fired up for some fun multiplayer (Xbox Game Studios)<\/p>\n
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