Press release —
EXPLORE A LIVING WORLD ON THE BACK OF A GIANT SNAIL IN SHELLBOUND, A PARASITIC METROIDVANIA COMING TO PC AND CONSOLES IN SUMMER 2028
Go to shell and back in an adventure full of platforming, puzzles and combat
Southampton, UK – August 12th, 2026 - Kinetic Publishing and Fake Lobster have today announced that Shellbound, a parasitic metroidvania, is launching on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2 in Summer 2028.
Revealed at the Kinetic Publishing Showcase today, Shellbound sees players take on the role of a parasite travelling on the back of an enormous deific snail, exploring a living world where organs are labyrinths and the snail’s very biology can reshape the paths available to them. The world reacts to the player’s actions - kill too many enemies of one species and they will evolve into stronger forms with new abilities the next time you return.
However, in an everchanging biological landscape, a parasite can thrive. Using their parasitic powers, players can take control of enemies and NPCs. Each creature offers unique movement, combat, and traversal skills, and harnessing these abilities is the key to reaching hidden areas, unlocking new routes, and defeating powerful bosses.
There is a treasure trove of secrets to discover on the journey across the gigantic gastropod, with friendly NPCs to meet and quests to take on, all in a world that is very literally living and breathing.
“With Shellbound, we were inspired to create the sort of game that we love to play ourselves, full of secrets and exploration, and with our unique parasitic twist,” said Fake Lobster co-founder Eric Frantzen.
“Shellbound has been a labour of love, and with the help of Kinetic Publishing, we have the support that we need to work on the game full-time and create what we’ve dreamt of making since we founded Fake Lobster,” said Fake Lobster co-founder Nils Klatt.
Shellbound features:
- Parasite Power: Control enemies, and even some NPCs, to use their abilities for platforming, puzzles and combat.
- Enemy Evolution: Kill a certain amount of an enemy type and it evolves into a stronger (and sometimes completely different) form, unlocking new parasite abilities in the process.
- Biome Transformation: The snail’s biology creates a living labyrinth that changes and evolves through your actions.
- A New Kind of Metroidvania: An evolution of the genre that allows players to circumvent traditional ability gating through clever use of enemy powers
Shellbound will launch on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2 in Summer 2028.
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About Kinetic Publishing
Launched in 2026, Kinetic Publishing is the publishing label of Kinetic Games, the UK-based developer behind 27+ million selling horror phenomenon Phasmophobia.
Founded to champion innovation within the indie game development space, Kinetic Publishing aims to offer the level of support that would have benefitted Phasmophobia creator Daniel Knight at the start of his journey, and to help developers make incredible games without compromising their creative vision.
In 2027, Kinetic Publishing is launching gritty starship job simulator Contact Protocol and open world witch-tech delivery game Crescent County, followed by PRECOGNITION, Shellbound, and Aether Wizard Life in 2028. For more on Kinetic Publishing, visit the official website and follow them on YouTube, Twitch, Instagram, TikTok, X, and Bluesky.
About Fake Lobster
Fake Lobster is an indie game studio based in Berlin and Bielefeld, Germany. Consisting of experts in film, marketing and game development, Fake Lobster was born from a passion for the intricate exploration and progression found in the team’s favourite games, both retro and modern. Shellbound is the team’s debut game, launching on PC and consoles in 2028.
