Multiplayer Brawler “Kiln” Might Be One Of The Two Unannounced Double Fine Projects

An Xbox Game Studios subsidiary, Double Fine, has recently released a documentary about the making of Psychonauts 2. The documentary showed the behind-the-scenes development of the game.

It also included an interview with Tim Schafer, the founder and the CEO of the studio. In the interview, he revealed that the studio is working on two unannounced projects. These projects were paused during the development of Psychonauts 2.

Now, the internet rumor mill believes they have found what one of those two projects is. According to the rumors, one of the two unannounced projects might be Kiln.

Their belief is based on more than one fact. As a matter of fact, Microsoft filed a trademark registration for Kiln last year in October. At the time no one knew what was that trademark for.

Few people, looking at the class under which the registration was filed deduced their findings. They believed that the trademark filing was for a “game rental service” which they thought was unusual for an “Xbox brand.” Now after the information revealed in Tim Schafer’s interview, they are sure they have connected the right dots.

And as a matter of fact, there’s some substance to this claim. Because a prototype of a game mode by the name of “Kiln” already exists as one of Double Fine’s IPs. It was created during a “public prototyping” event held in 2017. The event was called Amnesia Fortnight 2017.

One last fact that almost confirms these rumors is that the game prototype “Kiln” was created by Darek Brand who, as revealed by Tim, is behind the development of one of the two unannounced projects as well. So there is enough reason for us to believe that “Kiln” is indeed one of the two unannounced projects.

On Double Fine’s website, Kiln is described as a “multiplayer, team-based brawler” in which players can “sculpt” their characters. The info on the website further reads,

In Kiln you play as a Mountain Spirit, supernatural beings forever at war on the summit. You’ll use an ancient pottery wheel to create warrior golems called Vessels, inhabiting them and enabling you to interact with the physical realm to do battle. Created during the match, extremely diverse character shapes and sizes are possible each exhibiting unique attributes and controls that leverage the possibilities in procedural animation.”

The studio also has an introductory video on the prototype narrated by Derek Brand himself.

Xbox Game Studios has tons of subsidiaries many of which are first-party video game-developing studios. Some of them, such as Bethesda, 343 Industries, and Mojang, are pretty well-known in the industry. But most of them are pretty much overlooked by the gaming world. Double Fine is one such studio.

Founded in 2000, the studio worked independently until it was acquired by Microsoft in 2019. Tim Schafer described it as a “limited integration.” This deal safeguarded the studio’s intellectual freedom while also giving them a financial cushion.

Double Fine has not made any official announcement regarding the two unannounced projects. So these speculations must be taken cautiously despite the overwhelming evidence that supports them.

What do you think? Is there enough reason to believe that Kiln is indeed one of the two projects being worked on by Double Face?

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