Kinetic Games

Kinetic Games is an independent British video game developer and publisher founded in 2020. The Southampton-based studio is best known for Phasmophobia, its four-player cooperative psychological-horror investigation game, which entered Steam Early Access in September 2020 and later expanded to PlayStation 5, PlayStation VR2 and Xbox Series X/S.

Originally conceived as a solo project by Daniel Peter Knight, Phasmophobia became the company’s breakout title through its blend of cooperative investigation, proximity audio, voice recognition and supernatural horror. Kinetic Games continues to develop and operate the game through ongoing updates while supporting play across PC, console and virtual-reality platforms.

Development focus

The studio’s work centres on immersive interactive entertainment for PC, consoles and VR. Its capabilities include:

• Full-cycle game development and live-service operations
• Four-player online cooperative multiplayer systems
• Psychological-horror mechanics and social gameplay
• VR integration across OpenXR, SteamVR and PlayStation VR2
• Voice-recognition and proximity-audio features
• Community-driven updates and ongoing title support

Publishing expansion

In 2026, Kinetic Games launched Kinetic Publishing, an internal initiative that supports independent development teams with funding, production guidance, marketing, public relations and operational advice. Its announced publishing portfolio includes Contact Protocol, Crescent County, Shellbound, Aether Wizard Life and Precognition.

The company’s publishing activity builds on its experience bringing Phasmophobia from an early-access release to a multi-platform game. Alongside development and publishing, Kinetic Games maintains a hybrid studio model following its move into refurbished commercial workspace in Southampton in 2025.

Kinetic Games operates as Kinetic Games Limited, an active UK private limited company. Its work spans independent game development, publishing and live operations, with a focus on sustained, community-informed experiences for PC, console and VR players.