kiln Another game from Double Fine Productions, revealed recently Xbox Developer Direct. Described as an “online multiplayer pottery-party brawler”, the upcoming title marks a somewhat unexpected venture for the duo. psychologists Developers and the Xbox Game Studios family as a whole.
Double Fine is the most recently launched game the protectorA dreamy platformer with a silent story, starring a walking lighthouse and its pelican-like companion. the protector It was released on October 17 for Xbox Series X/S and PC. Barely three months later, the American studio has revealed its next project.
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Kiln is the game of making pots, then punching them, obviously inferior pots
Announced during 2026 Xbox Developer Live, kiln Billed as an “online multiplayer pottery-party brawler”. Marks a fairly novel direction for the base psychologists Also by developer, Double Fine's user-friendly standards. It is named after a type of kiln often used for drying dishes. True to its name, kilnThe gameplay loop focuses on players crafting their fighter, then taking control of them to duke it out in 4v4 online matches.
kilnThe inventive premise wasn't invented overnight, but it didn't take long either. Its roots can be found in Amnesia Fortnite, one of Double Fine's annual traditions where developers prototype different game ideas over a two-week period. For the 2017 edition of the show, the studio selected several concepts: three were voted on by fans, one was chosen by Double Fine's founding creative director Tim Shafer, and one was developed by the team led by lead artist Derek Brandt, who developed all the prototypes. kiln That was born out of the last choice.
Kiln prototypes from 2017, long thought abandoned until today
How a kiln works
The game's pot-making mechanics have been significantly streamlined compared to the real thing, but Double Fine still saw fit to include them given the premise. “It's just one button and a control stick,” Brand says of the in-game potty experience. In practice, this means aiming somewhere with a stick and throwing a piece of clay with a button. However, the simple implementation still allows for quite a variety of creative applications, especially when combined with the ability to choose between three different clay shapes and eight wheel shapes, including bowls, cups, and bottles. “You can make any shape you want,” says Brandt.
The whole pot part is that it catches people who don't want to jump into a multi-player game… If we can, we ease them into 'I want to do some punching with this pot' slowly.
Why kiln pottery?
Each potting session will essentially serve as an engaging and highly granular class picker. In addition to learning pot shapes, the player's decisions in this phase will determine things like stability, speed, and maneuverability, including 24 special attacks inspired by shapes, or actions related to shapes. For example, large cylinders will turn into hammers, while hockey puck-like vessels will be able to fire trick shots that ricochet between enemies. Ultimately, pot-making and 4v4 battles work in tandem to create a unique casual multiplayer experience. “Part of the whole thing is that it catches people who don't want to jump into a multiplayer game,” explains Brandt. “If we can, we gradually ease them into 'I want to punch something with this pot.'”
Kiln is coming in spring 2026
kiln Currently targeting a spring 2026 release. It will debut simultaneously for Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC. As a first-party Microsoft game, it will also be a Day One Xbox Game Pass title, available on PC and the Ultimate tiers of the subscription service. While it's still awaiting a solid release date, Double Fine's final game was announced and launched in just over four months – if it's any prediction for the immediate future, it would help narrow the spring 2026 window to late April or early May.
