“I think nailing down the essence of this game has been quite a challenge,” admits Oli Clarke Smith, the director at Promise Mascot Agency. “From the get-go, we talked about it as an open-world mascot management crime drama. Sure, it made sense to us, but conveying that idea to others? That’s been tricky.”
The game, which combines elements of an open-world RPG with aspects of management and creature collection, has started to resonate with players. Those who’ve had a chance to experience it seem to connect immediately. The folks over at Kaizen Game Works, known for Paradise Killer, have seen the early reviews of their eccentric ensemble for the 2025 title and the feedback has been “overwhelmingly positive.”
In this quirky game, you’ll meet an assortment of mascots – think sentient burial mounds, anti-pixelation cats, and charming oddities like Mottsun. The task? Manage their mascotting adventures in Promise Mascot Agency. The creative vision behind these characters emerged from the minds of Kaizen’s small British team, packed with powerhouses: Clarke Smith, technical genius Phil Crabtree, and artistic eye Rachel Noy. They collaborated with the iconic Japanese talents, Ikumi Nakamura and Mai Mattori, ensuring an authentic and fresh cultural landscape.
“We approached Nakamura with a blank slate, having just wrapped up our last project,” Clarke Smith recounts. “The kernel of the idea was there, and it was vital for us to incorporate a Japanese perspective, given our Western origins and the game’s Japanese setting. The mascots they brought to life were extraordinary in ways we couldn’t have imagined and rich with cultural references beyond our reach.”
While the team is intent on making their games unmistakably theirs, Kaizen has always embraced external input. “We provide a general framework and invite collaborators to infuse their experiences into the project,” Clarke Smith notes. This approach extended insights like Nakamura’s experience in a bar on Kyushu’s actual coast, where Promise Mascot Agency’s world finds its blueprint. These narratives added depth and authenticity to their in-game town, Kaso-Machi, subtly mimicking the outsider experience in rural settings. This storytelling formula was a big driver behind their desire to work with Swery and was also inspired by shows like Twin Peaks.
Creating Promise Mascot Agency was a different beast compared to their inaugural project. “Back in the Paradise Killer days, it was just me and Phil figuring it all out on the fly,” says Clarke Smith. “There was a huge shift conceptually moving from a mystery game to a management game, but our development process was much smoother this time.” Despite being his most challenging project yet, Clarke Smith acknowledges that team dynamics have matured into a seamless workflow.
Building on Paradise Killer’s legacy, certain systems were adapted for the new game. Crabtree elaborates: “We could reuse a lot of code. Sure, some adjustments were necessary, but it allowed us to focus more on design.” Initially, there was a more complex management system akin to a calendar for juggling tasks, but it didn’t match the game’s laid-back atmosphere. “It became apparent that the chill interactions with characters like Michi and Pinky were more vital,” shares Crabtree. The current management system is subtle yet complex, maintaining player engagement without being daunting.
Sending mascots on jobs presents unique challenges that the player must navigate. Based on “a whimsical list of mishaps” inspired by humorous mascot videos, these setbacks include navigational hitches and adorable dog distractions. Clarke Smith highlights a viral moment where a mascot danced through explosions as a touchstone, stressing the importance of feasible implementation with clear resolution cues.
The larger vision originated from Noy’s concept of a mascot sim, drawing inspiration from titles like Kairosoft’s Game Dev Story. The team aspired to create something grander, and eventually, elements such as the loan system or racing mini-games were reconsidered as their direction evolved. Some ideas, like the racing mini-game, remain shelved but could resurface in future projects, hinting at the team’s desire to keep innovative gameplay options open.
As the release of Promise Mascot Agency looms, the team reflects on their journey and its outcome. “For a small team, what we’ve accomplished is monumental,” says Crabtree, appreciating the details they’ve buried within the game that continuously amuse him through endless replays. Noy shares this sentiment, feeling an emotional connection to the characters – a sign of confidence that players will share this affection.
Although there’s a bit of nervous anticipation surrounding people’s reception of Promise Mascot Agency, the team is reassured by their previous success. “We’ve crafted a game we’re proud of,” concludes Clarke Smith. “Given the love for Paradise Killer’s writing and characters, I feel optimistic that if players enjoyed that, they’re going to really dig this one too.”
