Fellow Traveller announces Burn-9 and Penguin Colony ahead of summer releases

Indie publisher Fellow Traveller has expanded its upcoming slate with two distinct titles, Burn-9 and Penguin Colony, both scheduled for release later this year. The announcements were made during the Story-Rich Showcase, highlighting the publisher’s focus on narrative-driven experiences across different genres.

Burn-9, developed by 14 Hours Productions, is described as a "reverse Metal Gear" experience. Players assume the role of a radio operator rather than a field agent, guiding a secret operative codenamed Dodo through radio conversations. The gameplay centres on moral decision-making, requiring players to balance military command orders against their own ethical standards and interests.

The title draws comparisons to Lucas Pope’s Papers, Please, utilising mundane mechanics to force impactful moral choices. Information serves as the primary resource, with players deciding what intelligence to share with their agent and what to withhold from superiors. The narrative premise involves salvaging a mission that has gone wrong, with pressure mounting as impossible choices arise.

Burn-9 is set to launch on PC via Steam later this year. A demo will be available during Steam Next Fest, running from 15 to 22 June. This follows the publisher’s recent activity, which includes a new trailer for Penguin Colony, a cosmic horror game developed by Origame Digital.

Penguin Colony is an adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft novellas At the Mountains of Madness and The Shadow Out of Time. The game features voice work by Lenval Brown, known for his narration in Disco Elysium, and allows players to witness human factions, including Nazis, descend into madness through the eyes of a penguin. It will launch on PC and Nintendo Switch 2 later this year, with a demo currently available on Steam.