Kinetic Publishing Highlights Upcoming Games in 2026 Showcase
Kinetic Publishing held its 2026 showcase, revealing a roundup of new game announcements and updates. The event featured trailers and reveals for multiple upcoming titles. Details on specific games were not provided in the initial announcement.
Kinetic Games, the studio behind the horror hit Phasmophobia, has expanded into publishing, unveiling a slate of five titles. The showcase highlighted three distinct projects: a sci-fi workplace sim, a witch-tech racing adventure, and a hand-drawn metroidvania set on a giant snail.
Contact Protocol, a space security sim with procedural ships and multiple endings, targets a 2027 release. Crescent County offers an open-world motorbroom racing experience with romance options, while Shellbound explores a parasitic protagonist navigating a living ecosystem. All three are currently available to wishlist.
The expansion of a successful indie studio into publishing could provide a vital new distribution channel for smaller developers, potentially diversifying the market with niche genres like snail-based metroidvania and corporate space sims. Players may benefit from a wider array of experimental titles, while the industry could see more developer-led publishing models emerge, shifting power away from traditional mega-publishers.