Kiln

An absurdly fun and unique multiplayer throw down, Kiln might be somewhat light on content, but it more than makes up for it with bags of character, immediacy, and infectious gameplay.

75%Game Brain Score

gameplay, graphics

optimization, grinding

77% User Score Based on 104 reviews

Critic Score 72%Based on 7 reviews

Platforms

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About

Kiln is a single player and multiplayer casual hack and slash game. It was developed by Double Fine Productions and was released on April 23, 2026. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

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77%

Audience ScoreBased on 104 reviews

gameplay11 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

Creative and unique pottery crafting mechanic allows deep customization and personalization of pots, affecting both aesthetics and gameplay.
Fun and chaotic multiplayer battles that combine casual party game vibes with strategic MOBA-lite elements, providing enjoyable team play and replayability.
High-quality art style, charming atmosphere, engaging world-building, and excellent animations provide a delightful and distinct Double Fine experience.

Performance issues are significant, requiring high-end hardware to run smoothly, with poor optimization impacting the gameplay experience on many systems.
Game currently offers only a single game mode with limited maps, leading to repetitive gameplay and concerns about long-term player retention.
Party and matchmaking systems are frustrating due to Xbox friend integration, lack of private/custom rooms, and inability to consistently join friends' lobbies.

gameplay
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
58%
9%
The gameplay is praised for its creative pottery mechanics, charming aesthetics, and strategic team play, offering a fresh and enjoyable experience with simple, accessible controls. However, it is also criticized for limited content, with only one game mode, repetitiveness, occasional technical issues, and lack of depth that may reduce long-term engagement. Overall, the gameplay is fun and unique but could benefit from more variety and polish.
- “Such a creative style of game with familiar MOBA/brawler bones garnished with an innovative mechanic that spins clay into crazy pots, vases, etc. Truly worthy of game design recognition.”
- “Animations, sounds, music, and visuals are all top-notch goofy fun, and the quench maps—from Dionysus' dance floor to Hermes' giant conveyor belt mail-sorting facility—are as mechanically unique as they are thematically entertaining.”
- “The mechanics are simple enough to pick up quickly, but they create the kind of unpredictable chaos that leads to some absolutely ridiculous moments.”
- “Limited gameplay, one mode to play, level to win mechanics, not easy to control fighting, just overall low quality.”
- “Its such a shame because its so incredibly well made, but there aren't many maps, there is one game mode and honestly the gameplay gets old very fast.”
- “It feels great to play but the gameplay is just so boring after a few matches I really can't see myself putting much time into this.”
graphics
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
67%
14%
The game features a unique, charming art style and visually creative maps that enhance its goofy, party-like atmosphere. However, despite the appealing graphics and animations, many users report significant performance and optimization issues, even on mid to high-end hardware, which detracts from the overall experience.
- “Animations, sounds, music, and visuals are all top notch goofy fun, and the quench maps, from Dionysus' dance floor to Hermes' giant conveyor belt mail-sorting facility, are as mechanically unique as they are thematically entertaining.”
- “The game is cheap, it has great visuals and a fun premise.”
- “I love Double Fine, and I believed in this game. The concept is genuinely original, and the care put into the universe, the aesthetics, and the pottery mechanic radiates Double Fine passion.”
- “The optimization is asinine; please fix it. I beg of you, it lags so badly the game doesn't even have AAA-level graphics (which my ally is able to handle).”
- “Running a 3050ti on very low graphics settings and struggling to maintain 15fps.”
- “My only problem is the optimization; though I don't have a great PC, I know people who have better PCs and have really struggled getting frames on higher quality graphics settings.”
optimization
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
62%
19%
Optimization for the game is currently problematic, with many users reporting significant performance issues even on high-end or relatively solid hardware, particularly when using lower mid-range systems. While it shows potential and could perform well on handheld devices like the Steam Deck, mandatory upscaling, lag, and poor frame rates detract from the overall experience, indicating a strong need for further optimization and patching.
- “It wasn't great during the open beta and while it has improved with further optimization, I think a lot of people are going to be surprised at the recommended specs.”
- “Has some performance issues despite having a very beefy computer... other than that, has lots of potential, definitely planning to return!”
- “This is a perfect Steam Deck game; the handheld market will eat this game up once the performance issue is fixed.”
- “Performance is absolutely abysmal and really needs to be fixed.”
- “The optimization is asinine, please fix it. It lags so bad the game doesn't even have AAA level graphics (which my ally is able to handle).”
- “-Again, horrific performance, on very low with all the AI stuff on still never above 50 FPS.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The music is widely praised for being fresh, engaging, and thematically fitting, contributing significantly to the game's unique and entertaining vibe. It complements the top-notch animations and visuals, enhancing the overall experience despite some mixed opinions on gameplay.
- “Such a breath of fresh air from the ideas, music, gameplay, and just overall vibe.”
- “Animations, sounds, music, and visuals are all top notch goofy fun, and the quench maps, from Dionysus' dance floor to Hermes' giant conveyor belt mail-sorting facility, are as mechanically unique as they are thematically entertaining.”
- “Great music, fantastic map design, super interesting map design.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is consistently praised for being creative, unique, and genuinely funny, leaving a lasting impression that continues to provoke laughter well after playing. Its silly and adorable tone adds to its charm and overall enjoyment.
- “Df has always been creative, unique, and funny, and it really shows through here.”
- “And that is an experience that, days after, I'm still laughing about.”
- “Incredibly adorable with a good sense of humor.”
story
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express interest in a deeper narrative, wishing for a dedicated campaign or PvE mode to explore the game's concept more fully. They also appreciate thematic elements involving the tension between destruction and creation present in the story.
- “I really would like to hear the story of how these guys came up with this concept.”
- “I would really love a PvE or campaign/story, pleaseeeee.”
- “And there’s even some story insofar as there are themes of the tension between destruction and creation.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game is viewed negatively, as it feels tedious, trivial, and overly repetitive, particularly highlighted by the problematic "death from above" achievement that encourages unproductive or frustrating behavior. Unlocking features requires excessive grinding, diminishing overall enjoyment.
- “Cannot recommend until they fix the 'death from above' achievement, which is super boring, trivial, grindy, and rewards trolling/feeding/inting.”
- “Suffers from grinding to unlock features.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its charming and immersive setting, creating an engaging and delightful experience for players.
- “Atmosphere and setting of the game are really charming.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a straightforward monetization model with no microtransactions or battle passes, allowing players to enjoy the full experience after a single purchase. This approach is well-received as it avoids ongoing costs and pay-to-win mechanics.