As many suspected, the “secret” fourth game to appear at the Xbox Developer_Direct would be from Double Fine Productions, and it’s something completely different: Kiln, an online pottery multiplayer party brawler. Born from a two-week Game Jam-style session, it sees players creating pots and taking them into battle.
Meant to marry the cathartic acts of creation and destruction, you can start as a spirit who can manipulate clay to fashion a new body. You can then venture into Quench, a 4v4 mode about carrying water into enemy territory to douse their kiln. Of course, enemy players don’t like that, so you need to smash them.
Each pot has rudimentary moves such as running, jumping, attacking, and rolling, but different shapes have unique special moves. Their shapes also come in handy when traversing unique parts of the maps, based on fractured pieces of history. Some pots may have access to secret tunnels, and you can also pour water to erect sponge walls.
After every match, you return to the lobby, called the Wedge, to unlock new options with XP and Chips. Kiln is launching this Spring for Xbox Series X/S, PC, and PS5, with a closed beta coming soon. Double Fine will also support it post-launch with additional content.