Kinetic Publishing reveals five-game slate led by Sam Barlow’s Precognition

Kinetic Publishing has revealed the first five games in its publishing lineup, setting out a varied slate due across 2027 and 2028. The new label from the studio behind Phasmophobia will publish Contact Protocol, Crescent County, Shellbound, Aether Wizard Life and Precognition. The last of those is a new sci-fi horror collaboration between Sam Barlow and Brandon Cronenberg.

For players deciding whether the showcase includes anything for their preferred platform, the key detail is that Kinetic’s own recap lists PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2 for all five games. These are confirmed platforms, not exclusivity announcements. No exact release dates have been announced beyond seasonal windows, and Kinetic has not said whether every version will launch simultaneously. Kinetic’s showcase recap provides the complete platform list, while Xbox Wire says the games will support Xbox Play Anywhere.

The five games in Kinetic Publishing’s first slate

• Contact Protocol is due in spring 2027.
• Crescent County is due in summer 2027.
• Precognition is due in spring 2028.
• Shellbound is due in summer 2028.
• Aether Wizard Life is due in autumn 2028.

Those windows come from Kinetic Publishing’s official slate page. On PC, the publisher names Steam for the full lineup; Crescent County is also confirmed for the Epic Games Store. No additional PC storefronts have been announced for the other four games.

Precognition is the headline reveal

Precognition, previously teased as Project C, is described by Kinetic as a cinematic sci-fi horror game from Sam Barlow and Brandon Cronenberg. It follows Diana, who begins receiving visions of the future after an experimental implant is embedded in her brain. The details she chooses to commit to memory can change what happens next.

Kinetic says the project uses cinematic live-action sequences and nonlinear storytelling, although it has not formally labelled the game as FMV. PC Gamer’s coverage identifies Precognition as Barlow’s next project and highlights the collaboration between Half Mermaid Productions and Cronenberg. Xbox Wire’s official showcase recap also details the partnership and confirms the Xbox Series X|S and PC versions.

From starship judgement calls to motorbroom racing

The rest of the lineup shows that Kinetic Publishing is not limiting its debut slate to horror. In Contact Protocol, players work aboard a starship, check approaching vessels against available records and decide whether each ship is a threat. Firing torpedoes may protect the player’s ship, but a wrong decision can kill innocent crews.

Crescent County takes the lineup in a different direction. Electric Saint’s witch-tech open-world game has players making motorbroom deliveries by day and racing at night, alongside friendships, romance and local drama. The developer’s official website also highlights broom upgrades, deliveries and crushes as parts of its blend of travel, competition and social life.

Shellbound is a metroidvania centred on a parasite living on an enormous snail. Instead of relying on one fixed player character, the parasite can possess enemies and non-player characters. Each host provides different movement, combat and traversal abilities.

Aether Wizard Life combines an apprentice mage’s story with a customisable walking castle, magical farming, creature care and dungeon exploration. Beneath its cosy life-sim premise is a mystery involving an organisation that is kidnapping wizards.

What Kinetic Publishing says it offers developers

Kinetic says its publishing model supports independent studios without taking away their creative control. Its stated services range from funding and production to marketing and PR. Whatever the selection process behind the debut lineup, the result covers a wide range: a starship decision game, an open-world motorbroom adventure, a possession-led metroidvania, a magical life sim and cinematic sci-fi horror.

PlayStation has separately confirmed all five games for PS5 in its official showcase recap. Kinetic’s own announcement supplies the broader PC, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2 platform list. Exact dates, cross-platform launch timing and further storefront details remain unannounced.