“I think it’s tricky to really capture what this game is all about,” Oli Clarke Smith, director at Promise Mascot Agency, tells me.
“We’ve discovered this challenge along the way. We started describing the game—and we still do—as an open-world mascot management crime drama. To us, it made perfect sense, but it didn’t fully convey the essence of the game. It’s a full open-world RPG with management and creature collector elements. Once players dive in, they really get it.” This realization has been a positive nod for the team at Paradise Killer studio, Kaizen Game Works, as they begin to reveal more about their 2025 project. Early feedback from players on their eclectic “band of freaks” has been overwhelmingly positive.
The colorful cast of characters is central to the game. These mascots include sentient burial mounds, cats with strong opinions on video pixelation, and quirky characters like Mottsun, who is unforgettable. Players take on the role of managing this diverse group of mascots at Promise Mascot Agency. Most of these characters were crafted through a collaboration between Kaizen’s tightly-knit team of Clarke Smith, technical director Phil Crabtree, and art director Rachel Noy, with iconic Japanese artists Ikumi Nakamura and Mai Mattori bringing their own flair to the table.
“We approached her with nothing more than a rough concept,” Clarke Smith confesses, “since we had just wrapped up our previous game. We wanted someone from Japan to contribute to the game set there, given our Western roots. The mascots we received were beyond what we could have imagined on our own, reflecting cultural nuances we wouldn’t have reached otherwise.”
Kaizen’s approach is to maintain their unique style while embracing collaborator input. “We offer a basic idea and ask them to infuse it with their personal experiences,” Clarke Smith explains, highlighting Nakamura’s storytelling of a bar visit in Kyushu, which inspired the game’s atmosphere and town, Kaso-Machi. Experiences like these, combined with the team’s own UK-based narratives, add rich layers to the game world. Noy adds, “We also watched a lot of Twin Peaks, which heavily influenced us and motivated us to involve Swery.”
Sure, some adjustments were necessary to make things work. For example, Nakamura and Mattori’s mascot designs needed to match a specific size and shape for animations. Clarke Smith mentions, “We sometimes had to adapt their designs to fit the game structure, yet 90% of it fell into place seamlessly.”
Creating this game posed fresh challenges for Kaizen, starkly different from their first title. “With Paradise Killer, it was just Phil and me figuring out how to make a game,” the director recalls. The shift from a mystery game to a management game was a big conceptual leap, but this time around, things felt smoother, even though it’s “the hardest game” he’s worked on. The team dynamics have naturally evolved, leading to effortless communication.
Crabtree contributes, saying, “Some systems are carried over from Paradise Killer. So, when we needed specific systems, much of the coding was already in place. This allowed us more time for design.” Initially, they explored a detailed management system involving a full calendar where assignments would span days and weeks.
“But this complex management approach didn’t vibe with the game’s relaxed world, centered around character interactions and revitalizing the environment,” the technical director comments. They had to balance complexity with simplicity, ensuring the management aspect isn’t overwhelming yet still engaging.
Managing your mascots involves sending them on tasks where they might encounter obstacles. Crabtree fondly recalls compiling a “big old list of silly things that could happen,” inspired by YouTube videos of mascot fails. One viral clip of mascot Funassyi escaping explosions was a source of inspiration. The challenge was to script these reliably while providing clear resolutions where players can intervene.
The game has transformed significantly from art director Noy’s initial concept of a mascot management sim reminiscent of Kairosoft’s Game Dev Story. “We aspired for something bigger, seeking a project that could sustain the company,” Clarke Smith reflects. Along the way, various features, like loans and checkpoint races, were considered but ultimately omitted for not aligning with the game’s evolved vision.
“There are still elements in the background,” Noy admits, “like the idea of cool drift cars in Japan, which might come to life if we get a chance for a fun add-on like an Initial D content pack.”
However, before contemplating the future, Kaizen focuses on the upcoming release of Promise Mascot Agency this year with optimism. “For a small team, what we’ve accomplished is significant,” Crabtree shares. “I’ve revisited the start of the game countless times, fixing bugs, capturing footage, and I still discover little touches that make me smile. I experienced this with Paradise Killer only near launch, but I feel that satisfaction longer with this project.”
“I’ve fallen in love with our characters,” Noy confesses. “It’ll be bittersweet when we’re done working on it, but I believe others will love them too.” While there’s some apprehension about the game’s reception, past successes with their distinctive style have fostered confidence.
“We’ve crafted the game we wanted to make,” Clarke Smith asserts. “We know that people appreciate the writing and characters from Paradise Killer, and we’ve infused those qualities into this new project. So, I’m confident that if you enjoy it, you’ll probably love it.”
