The Kinetic Publishing Showcase revealed five varied and exciting indie titles coming to the Kinetic Publishing lineup, with starship job sim Contact Protocol and witch-tech open world drifter Crescent County launching in 2027.
These will be followed by parasitic metroidvania Shellbound, cosy wizard life sim Aether Wizard Life, and sci-fi horror PRECOGNITION, a brand new live-action investigation game from Sam Barlow (Her Story, Immortality), all launching in 2028.
“We’re so excited to be revealing our publishing lineup to the world, and introducing players to the fantastic developers that we have the pleasure of working with over the next few years,” said Chris Rose, Publishing Production Manager at Kinetic Publishing. “We want Kinetic Publishing to be a name that players can trust to bring them some of the best games from indie teams globally, and these five games are the first step on that journey.”
Contact Protocol - (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2) - Spring 2027
Contact Protocol sees players take on the role of a security officer onboard the starship Pale Horse, a GalCo mining vessel setting course to Jupiter’s largest moon. Players will have to assess the intentions of approaching ships, comparing the information they provide against company records, and determine whether they are friend or foe.
This is no simple admin job, however - as discrepancies are interrogated and requests for information are sent, the unknown ship approaches ever closer. Uncertainty can lead to disaster for the Pale Horse if a passing ship means harm, but choose to fire torpedoes out of caution, and players can doom a ship full of innocents. All the while, the company is watching, with the threat of legal action looming if paperwork is mismanaged.
Crescent County - (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2) - Summer 2027
In Crescent County, players explore the near-universal experience of moving to a new place as a chaotic young adult, entering a new world full of witches and racing. Players take to their motorbroom to courier parcels by day, and play street racer by night. From getting involved in local gossip and drama, to herding sheep and fixing leylines, this heartfelt game is about kissing, drifting, and being a mess in your 20s.
Inspired by lead developer Anna Hollinrake’s first big studio job where she moved to the Isle of Wight, Crescent County is set on the crescent-shaped, magical Isle of Mor. Also influenced by roller derby subculture and cozy-but-not stylized games like Sable, Dredge or Olli Olli World, Crescent County aims to offer the experience of Kiki’s Delivery Service meets the bikes of Akira, set on a rural, witch-tech island.
Shellbound - (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2) - Summer 2028
Shellbound sees players take on the role of a parasite travelling on the back of an enormous snail, exploring a living world where organs are labyrinths and the snail’s very biology can reshape the paths available to them. The world reacts to the player’s actions - kill too many enemies of one species and they will evolve into stronger forms with new abilities the next time you return.
However, in an everchanging biological landscape, a parasite can thrive. Using their parasitic powers, players can take control of enemies and NPCs. Each creature offers unique movement, combat, and traversal skills, and harnessing these abilities is the key to reaching hidden areas, unlocking new routes, and defeating powerful bosses.
Aether Wizard Life - (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2) - Fall 2028
In Aether Wizard Life, players take on the role of a young apprentice mage in the haunted town of Starfall. Waking up each morning in a customisable walking castle, players are free to choose what tasks to take on each day, whether that’s growing magical crops, caring for exotic creatures, venturing into deep and twisting dungeons to fight monsters, or talking with the townsfolk to discover new side quests and problems to solve.
Not all is well in the world of Aether Wizard Life, however. The town of Starfall is a place that’s haunted, both by spirits of the dead, and by the machinations of a secret organisation set on kidnapping wizards and burning them at the stake. Dive head-first into the mystery surrounding this clandestine group, finding clues and solving the riddle at the heart of the town.
Precognition - (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2) - Spring 2028
Originally teased as ‘Project C’, Precognition follows in the footsteps of Sam Barlow’s previous game, IMMORTALITY, combining cinematic live-action sequences with non-linear storytelling and a focus on player freedom and agency. Players take on the role of Diana, a woman who discovers she can receive visions of the future after an experimental implant is embedded into her brain.
Players will be tasked with exploring these visions of the future, focusing on specific moments and committing them to Diana’s memory in the present day. Prescience comes with consequences, however, and as soon as Diana commits a detail to memory, the very future ahead of her changes.