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There’s a New Indie Publisher, and It’s Bringing All Its Games to PS5
New UK-based publisher Kinetic Publishing, created by the team behind Phasmophobia, has announced five indie games for PlayStation 5. The move matters because the publisher is entering an increasingly crowded indie market with an eclectic slate and experience from a major commercial success, having sold 27 million copies of Phasmophobia.
– Contact Protocol (spring 2027): a space-based document-checking game compared with Papers, Please, set on Jupiter’s largest moon. – Crescent County (summer 2027): a colourful, cosy racing game inspired by the Isle of Wight and anime influences. – Precognition (spring 2028): Sam Barlow’s largely undisclosed sci-fi horror game, intended to offer players greater control over the story’s outcome. – Shellbound (summer 2028): a Metroidvania whose developers are changing its visual style to distinguish it from Hollow Knight. – Aether Wizard Life (autumn 2028): a Thailand-made blend of cosy activities and action role-playing, including farming and caring for mythological creatures.
In short
- Kinetic Publishing will release five games on PS5.
- The titles are scheduled for 2027 and 2028.
- Sam Barlow’s Precognition is the highest-profile announcement.
Explained simply
Independent publishers help smaller game studios bring their work to market, often across several platforms. Kinetic Publishing is a new UK company formed by the team behind Phasmophobia, a multiplayer ghost-hunting game that has sold 27 million copies.
The five games in its announced slate range from a space-based paperwork game to cosy racing, science-fiction horror and fantasy adventures. Their developers come from different backgrounds, including Sam Barlow, known for story-focused games, and a studio in Thailand. The publisher’s entry adds another competitor to a crowded indie games market, with the Phasmophobia team bringing experience of a major commercial success.