Kinetic Publishing 2026 Showcase Roundup

Earlier this week, UK studio Kinetic Games (of Phasmophobia fame) showcased the first batch of titles to be released under their new indie publishing arm, Kinetic Publishing. From a whimsical wizarding life-sim to a metroidvania that takes place on the back of a giant snail (!), here’s a breakdown of what was revealed.

Choices, paperwork, torpedoes and teabags – that’s how the dev team behind Contact Protocol describe their game, but this sci-fi workplace sim has a lot more going on beneath the surface.

You play as the security officer aboard PALE HORSE, a vessel owned by Galileo Corporation, which is heading to Jupiter's biggest moon. In this reality, humanity has spread throughout the solar system and PALE HORSE is ferrying miners to Ganymede to extract resources. Your job is to assess the intentions of approaching ships, decide their fate, and ultimately, keep your crew alive. Sounds simple, right? But the company is always watching…

Under the guise of space admin, you’ll need to: check incoming data bursts against GalCo records, interrogate individuals to explain discrepancies, destroy competitor and smuggler ships that provide inconsistent data or suspicious comms and document your findings (to avoid exposing your employer to, er, “interplanetary legal action”).

You’re also responsible for fixing contact frequencies, checking hull images, and recovering corrupted data, and as time is tight, you may not always feel in control. Rest assured though, you will always be held accountable. Oh, and you should really chat to your shipmates – if nothing else, to stay sane in the dark, lonely depths of space!

With procedurally generated starships, narrative choices that impact outcomes, and multiple endings, Contact Protocol may channel corporate monotony, but its sinister, investigative undercurrent will test your judgement and your loyalty. The game is available to wishlist on Steam now, ahead of its 2027 release.

From hulking spacecraft to nimble biker-brooms – Crescent County is an alt-rock soaked coming of age adventure that takes place in an open world packed with ‘witch-tech’.

You play as Lu, a scrappy young adult who recently moved to the game’s painterly island setting and quickly fell in love with the adrenaline-fuelled motorbroom scene. By day, you indulge your obsession undertaking courier duties: zipping about delivering packages, herding sheep and fixing leylines.

By night, you and your friends cash in your paychecks and trick out your rides, before racing at break-neck speeds on Crescent County’s winding roads. The more you upgrade your broom, the more stunts you can pull, the wider the variety of jobs you can take on, and the more juicy island gossip you can uncover along the way.

Aside from the rebel-racer action, Lu can spend time decorating her small (and rather sad) flat and building her chosen family from the motorbroom punks she encounters on the road. This also includes charmingly messy flirting and romance options, which add to the awkward teen vibes.

Prepare to explore a nostalgic, noughties-subculture-tinged fantasy world by wishlisting Crescent County now, with further release details to follow.

As game settings go, the back of a gigantic snail is certainly a unique one. In hand-drawn metroidvania Shellbound, the player character is a teeny, tiny parasite, born from the fertile mucus of said massive mollusc.

You’re tasked with exploring the sprawling ecosystem that winds around – and through – the creature, encountering multiple biomes and their inhabitants. From lush forests to dank, pulsating caverns, each environment is impacted by the bodily functions of the snail, as well as your actions.

You can befriend NPCs, logging them in an interactive ‘friendbook’, uncovering their secrets and unlocking additional quests. Kill too many beasties of one species, however, and they will evolve to grow stronger. But luckily, you have parasitic skills up your sleeve, enabling you to control enemies, piggybacking their abilities to reach new areas, solve puzzles and gain a strategic advantage in combat.

Early on in your adventure, it’s revealed that the snail has begun (slowly) moving again after millennia spent dormant. Nobody seems to know why, nor where it’s heading, and unravelling this mystery will provide answers to both its – and your – role in this strange world.

Shellbound is currently undergoing an art style refresh. Wishlist the game to stay up to date with its new look and release schedule.

Fans of Studio Ghibli, get ready to get your magic on. Aether Wizard Life is a cosy, 2D life-sim set in the enchanted town of Starfall, where you play as a fresh-faced wizarding graduate.

As beautiful as Starfall is, on your quest to become the hamlet’s Archmage, you soon discover that the residents are plagued by lingering spirits, haunted by old conflicts, and stalked by mysterious creatures hiding in the mists that cloak its outskirts. Help restore peace by fulfilling requests from the townsfolk and tracking down the 13 Lost Elementals, hidden by your predecessor in dangerous dungeons.

Along the way, you’ll master over 30 wizard skills – including spellcasting, potion-making, rune crafting, weapon forging, summoning and time manipulation. You’ll also have time to live a magical life: building a cosy castle to call your home, romancing datable NPCs, and taking care of adorable furry friends like alpacas and unicorns.

There are businesses that can benefit from your helping hand too. You can run a potion shop, concocting elixirs from foraged supplies, or manage a tavern – serving food, hiring staff, and bringing a sense of community back to Starfall.

Mixing creature combat with mindful moments, Aether Wizard Life allows you to indulge in the fun of wielding magical abilities, but also asks you to use them in ways that really matter. Add the game to your Wishlist to hear about updates first.

If this is all sounding a little too cosy for your liking, keep an eye (or seven) on another of Kinetic’s upcoming releases. PRECOGNITION is a sci-fi horror currently in development at Half Mermaid, the studio behind 2022’s interactive found footage experience IMMORTALITY.

From the minds of Sam Barlow (who worked on the UK-produced Silent Hill games and the acclaimed Her Story) and Canadian horror director Brandon Cronenberg, PRECOGNITION – previously revealed under the working name ‘Project C’ – builds on IMMORTALITY’s sense of dread and explores the premise of brain implants that enable you to see your own future.

If you’re a fan of creepy, immersive stories, perhaps you can see a copy of PRECOGNITION in your future? Sit tight – the game is currently slated for a Spring 2028 release.

To keep up to speed with what Kinetic Publishing has in store, visit their website and follow them on YouTube, Twitch, Instagram, TikTok, X, and Bluesky. And for more on the latest indie game releases, be sure to check out IGN’s Indie Loop series.