Yesterday was a bit of an unfortunate day for Xbox and Double Fine to launch Kiln — not only is it a smaller-scale release anyway, but it got caught up in the major statement about Xbox's future that dominated the headlines.
Still, there are definitely people checking this game out on Xbox Game Pass and beyond, and considering there were no reviews prior to release (probably because it's an online multiplayer title), we thought we'd have a browse of the first player reviews on the likes of the Xbox Store and Steam to see how it's faring with the public so far.
Steam is the best place to start here, because the reviews on that platform are based on actual purchases rather than just anyone who wants to leave their feedback. The game has a "Mostly Positive" rating on there as things stand (based on less than 50 reviews), with most people praising the concept and fun gameplay, while the handful of negative reactions are based on stuff like technical issues on PC, grinding and a lack of game mode variety.
Here are two positive examples and one negative example:
Wolfe Plisken on Steam: "The best way I could describe this game is Splatoon crossed with light MOBA elements where you get to craft your own unique creations to take into battle. This is definitely worth checking out and I hope it has a long life ahead of it, its rare we get unique multiplayer games like this anymore with all the live service generic cartoon hero shooter things that exist."
Artic on Steam: "I really didn't expect much from Kiln, maybe a party game I'd play once or twice with friends. But it's honestly so much more. You can really put a lot of customisation into designing your pots; with different classes of pot giving different move sets, and size/shape affecting your health and carry capacity. You also have tons of options for aesthetic choices. I probably spend as much time at the wheel making new pots as I do in matches. Beyond that the actual battle gameplay is really fun too. Lots of room for teamwork and strategy with your friends, and simple but fun combat. The maps are also nice and varied, each with a unique "gimmick"."
PopeyeTheVRMan on Steam: "Willing to give it more time, but it's rubbing me the wrong way. Feels weird to have so many mechanics be level-locked, only having one game mode is pretty limiting, the game is weirdly into butts... While I quite like the art style, and I appreciate unique games that try to do something different, this just isn't immediately connecting with me. I think my expectations were just completely misaligned with what this game is, so I will give it more of a chance. The art style suggests it's a goofy party game about customization but the customization is just your progress in a strategic team-based hero brawler."
To the surprise of nobody, the Xbox Store is a mess when it comes to this game's reviews — Kiln currently has a 2.8/5 rating on the US version of the store, but that doesn't tell the full story when you consider how some people are just complaining that it's not a AAA title like Call of Duty. Seriously, they need to overhaul reviews on Xbox!
That said, there do appear to be some wide-ranging opinions about Kiln on the store. There are some Xbox fans who are saying they've become addicted and poured multiple hours into it already, while others have suggested that it gets boring quickly, that the controls are unresponsive, and that again, PC performance is a bit of an issue right now.
Necromorphosist on Xbox: "I absolutely LOVE this game! A breath of fresh air! Needs teamwork for sure! The making your own pot part is my favorite!! Props to the devs for bringing this joy of a game to life!! 11/10 WILL recommend!"
Peashooter20 on Xbox: "Not bad, not great. Simple online cooperation brawling battle, the custom pots are fun but just the gameplay is the same thing over and over."
Here at Pure Xbox, we haven't really had a chance to dig into Kiln considering how busy things have been over the past 24 hours, but I've personally played it a little bit, and I've been really charmed by the presentation and the pot-making aspects so far. The gameplay is fun and reminds me of something like Party Animals if you stripped away the wonky physics and made it a bit more serious, and I'm intrigued to see whether it'll grab my attention long-term or if I'll fall away from it pretty quickly. We'll see!
But how about you? Have you had a chance to play Kiln yet? It's very early days, but we'll throw a poll down below just in case, and please do share your thoughts about the game in the comments down below.