During the Developer_Direct, as predicted, there was also a surprise announcement: it is Kiln, an original Double Fine multiplayer brawler inspired by the art of ceramics, arriving in the spring with an Open Beta coming earlier.

The beating heart of the Kiln experience lies in the creation of our avatar. In Kiln we will not just choose a predefined character, but we will literally have to shape him from a piece of rough clay. The developers have worked hard to make this process accessible to anyone: simply by using an analog stick and a button, we will be able to shape our vase on the potter's wheel, deciding whether to make it short and stocky, tall and thin or something in between. The goal is to make us feel like master craftsmen from the very first moment, creating shapes that will directly influence the gameplay.

Customization, in fact, is not only aesthetic but deeply strategic. The first choice we will have to make concerns the amount of clay to use: a little clay will create a fast fighter, a lot of clay will create a huge and resistant one. Within these "weight classes", we will be able to create eight different shapes (such as bottles, cups or bowls), each with a specific set of moves. There are a whopping 24 shape-based special attacks in the game: a cup could have an area attack that shoots popcorn, while a top hat could turn into a huge hammer to crush enemies.

A fundamental tactical aspect that we will have to keep in mind when creating is the inversely proportional relationship between health and water carrying capacity. The more water our pot can hold, the less health we will have available, forcing us to think carefully about the composition of our team to balance "transporters" and "fighters". Once the shape has been defined, we can indulge ourselves with nail polishes, handles and stickers before baking everything in the oven and going down to the game's social hub: "The Wedge".

The Wedge is the domain of the goddess Celadon and serves as a gathering point. Here we will find a dojo to train, a shop run by the dog Slip (who sells decorations in exchange for credits earned by playing) and even "Potty", a character who acts as a living punching bag and who will reward us if we find and hit him. Interaction with other users in this area is designed to be physical and not verbal: we can use emotes, dance or simply roll around to communicate.

As for the actual combat, the main mode will be called "Quench". In 4v4 fights, our goal will be to transport water from one side of the map to the other to extinguish the opposing team's giant furnace, while protecting our base. The maps will be inspired by ancient gods, each with unique characteristics: the Athena map will feature narrow passages and strategic sponges, the Hermes map will have conveyor belts that shoot packages to avoid, while the Dionysus map will force us to dance if we end up on the central dance floor.

Kiln therefore seems to propose a truly unique mix of creativity and strategic action. We just have to wait to be able to "get our hands in the dough"! In the meantime, we leave you with the announcement trailer and a set of images.