Kiln review – Smashing fun, at least for a while

Believe it or not, Kiln is a game in which you take control of a small spirit with a prominent bum. And if that’s not weird enough, they seemingly exist solely to possess pottery and engage in battle, working with other spirits as a team to quench the kiln of an opposing team. It’s something that only the creative minds over at Double Fine Productions could think up, and it leads to hours of team-based fun.

Kiln is essentially a game of two halves. One side of the game has you creating and decorating pots, the shape and size of which will determine its abilities during gameplay. Initially your options are limited in this regard, with you only able to use a medium amount of clay, a minimal number of tools, and little to no decorations. As you engage in battle and level up, however, you’ll unlock more options, giving you more freedom when it comes to expressing yourself.

Once you have a pot or two at your disposal, you’re ready to team up for a game of Quench. This is currently the only match type available in Kiln, and requires you to team up with others online to engage in 4v4 battles. The aim: collect water in your pot, then take it to the opposing team’s Kiln and use it to quench its flame. The first team to fully expel the other team’s kiln is the winner.

The aim of a game of Quench is simple, then, but making things more complicated are the arenas of battle themselves, filled with little quirks and obstacles that keep you on your toes. Head onto a dance floor and you might find yourself momentarily lost in the groove, for example, while another arena forces players into a small area which lowers before filling with water, creating a violent mosh pit for a short while. You can also use things like sponges to your advantage, spilling a bit of water on them to make them swell up and create an obstruction.

When it comes to combat, the size and shape of your pot here makes all the difference. Larger pots are slower but hit harder, making them more suitable for defence than anything. They can potentially store more water though, so if you do use one and make it to your opponent’s kiln while being full, you can do some serious quenching. Smaller pots, on the other hand, are weaker but move much quicker.

In any case, every pot has a special ability available depending on its classification, ranging from being able to create a tornado or engaging another pot in a violent scrap. All pots can roll, too, gaining additional speed at the expense of leaking the occasional bit of water. It’s worth trying a variety of pot shapes and sizes, then, working out which most suit your playstyle.

The trouble with Kiln is, with only one match type available, the action soon begins to feel a little repetitive. More content is promised going ahead, including additional maps and new ways to play, so hopefully this means some new modes will be added. Though the fact that you have to carefully balance your maximum health with your water capacity during the design of each pot means that a straight-up brawl mode probably isn’t on the cards.

Still, as it is, it truly is great fun making pots in Kiln, and thanks to a collection feature you can easily see those you have previously made, choosing three to place on your “Top Shelf” making them available to choose during a game of Quench. The decorations available really allow you to express yourself and create some impressive vessels. It’s just a shame that while taking your created pots into battle is fun, there aren’t more modes at launch to keep you invested.