Whew, what a moment!
Our first-ever Kinetic Publishing Showcase came and went in a flash and we’re so grateful to everyone who tuned in to check out the 5 incredible games and their creators who make up our initial line-up.
If you missed out, don’t worry! You can catch up with the Showcase - narrated by the ever-wonderful Ben Starr - on our official YouTube and Twitch channels, check it out below or simply keep reading to get a lowdown on all the games revealed.
Contact Protocol - A Starship Job Simulator Set in a Gritty Cassette-Future
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.
Contact Protocol will launch on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2 in Spring 2027.
Crescent County - A Painterly, Witch-tech Open World Game Filled With Drifting, Driving, and Flirting
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.
Crescent County will launch on PC via Steam and The Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2 in Summer 2027.
Shellbound - A Parasitic Metroidvania Set in a Living, Breathing World
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.
Shellbound will launch on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2 in Summer 2028.
Aether Wizard Life - A Cosy Wizard Life Sim Where Each Day Brings New Opportunities
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.
Aether Wizard Life will launch on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2 in Autumn 2028.
PRECOGNITION - A Cinematic Sci-Fi Horror From Sam Barlow and Brandon Cronenberg
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.
PRECOGNITION launches on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2 in Spring 2028.
We’re incredibly excited and honoured to be working with the teams behind these games, and can’t wait to help them share more and more as we get closer to each game’s release date. Stay tuned to our official channels for news and updates on all things Kinetic Publishing.
