Kinetic Publishing introduced five indie games coming to PS5 during its first showcase on August 12, 2026. The releases will span spring 2027 through autumn 2028, beginning with Contact Protocol and ending with Aether Wizard Life. The showcase was detailed in a PlayStation Blog recap.
Kinetic Games, the team behind Phasmophobia, said the game had sold more than 27 million copies before the studio established Kinetic Publishing in January 2026. The label was created to support indie developers with funding and guidance while allowing them to keep creative control, a goal outlined in the Kinetic Publishing launch coverage.
Contact Protocol turns corporate paperwork into survival
Contact Protocol is a sci-fi starship job simulator built around decisions that can go catastrophically wrong. Players work aboard the Pale Horse during its voyage to Jupiter’s largest moon, checking information from incoming ships against company records before deciding whether each vessel is friendly or hostile.
A bad call can bring a torpedo through the ship, saving the player while sending the rest of the crew into the vacuum of space. The game steadily raises the mental pressure, then gives players stretches of downtime between those difficult choices. Contact Protocol will launch on PS5 in spring 2027.
Crescent County brings witch-tech life to a magical island
Crescent County is a dreamy adventure from creative director and illustrator Anna Hollinrake, inspired by her experience moving to the Isle of Wight. Its crescent-shaped island combines motorbroom driving, local gossip, messy relationships, and a community built around finding home.
The game blends the delivery-fantasy charm of Kiki’s Delivery Service with the distinctive bikes of Akira. Its story also puts queerness, found family, and community at the center of the island’s warm, painterly world. Crescent County will arrive on PS5 in summer 2027.
Precognition follows Project C into a sci-fi horror story
Precognition is the former Project C from Half Mermaid Productions. The sci-fi horror game is being created by Sam Barlow, known for Immortality and Her Story, in collaboration with horror director Brandon Cronenberg.
Players will have more control over the direction of the story than in Barlow’s previous games, with small details becoming important as the mystery unfolds. Decisions can affect the flow of time, and meddling with it will carry consequences. Precognition is planned for PS5 in spring 2028.
Shellbound makes a giant snail the heart of a metroidvania
Shellbound takes the familiar metroidvania formula inside a giant snail. Players control a parasite in a world where organs become labyrinths and the snail’s biology changes which paths are available.
The parasite can take control of enemies and non-player characters, with each creature offering different movement, combat, and traversal skills. Those powers will open hidden areas, create new routes, and help players face powerful bosses. Shellbound will launch on PS5 in summer 2028.
Aether Wizard Life mixes farming, dating, and dungeon runs
Vonder Games’ Aether Wizard Life combines town building, platforming, exploration, action-RPG combat, farming, and dating. Players take the role of an apprentice mage in Starfall, a haunted town hiding the truth behind a series of wizard kidnappings.
Each day offers several possible paths, from growing magical crops and caring for unusual creatures to entering dangerous dungeons or speaking with townsfolk to uncover side quests. Its Ghibli-inspired art and story elements drawn from the real history of witches give Starfall a cozy surface with plenty of mystery underneath. Aether Wizard Life will come to PS5 in autumn 2028.
Kinetic Publishing’s first showcase covers a surprisingly broad range, from high-pressure starship decisions to snail-powered platforming and a wizard life sim. Share your thoughts in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram.
