“It’s tough to really describe what our game is all about,” says Oli Clarke Smith, the director over at Promise Mascot Agency. “That’s the thing we’ve noticed and it’s been a bit of a challenge. When we first started talking about the game—and honestly, we still do—we called it an open-world mascot management crime drama. To us, that description seemed perfect, but I don’t think it’s captured exactly what the game entails.”
He continues, “It’s actually a full-fledged open-world RPG that marries management elements with creature collection aspects. Once players give it a go, they tend to really get the hang of it and see what it’s all about.” What’s been encouraging for the team at Kaizen Game Works, the creators of Paradise Killer, is the reception so far. They’ve been slowly revealing details about their upcoming 2025 release, and feedback from early audience reviews of their quirky “band of freaks” has been “universally positive.”
This eccentric group forms the game’s unique mascots—ranging from sentient burial mounds to cats with strong opinions about adult video pixelation, and charming little characters like Mottsun, who audiences have adored. These are the mascots you’ll manage in Promise Mascot Agency. A collaborative effort between Kaizen’s UK-based team—Clarke Smith, Phil Crabtree, and Rachel Noy—and Japanese artists Ikumi Nakamura and Mai Mattori, these unique creations bring a fresh cultural texture to the game.
“We approached Nakamura without a plan,” Clarke Smith explains, recalling how they had just wrapped up their previous game. “We had a rough concept for Promise Mascot Agency and we knew it was important to collaborate with someone in Japan, to keep the game’s setting authentic. The mascots that came from that were unlike anything we could have created on our own. They were filled with cultural nuances we would have missed.”
Kaizen is known for games that carry their unique signature, but when working with collaborators like Nakamura, it’s always been about providing a general idea and letting them infuse their own creativity and experiences. For instance, Nakamura shared a personal story about visiting a bar on Kyushu’s coast, where her outsider status made communication tricky. These personal anecdotes deeply influenced the game’s setting, Kaso-Machi, imbuing it with an air of authenticity and detail.
The team also drew from their own experiences back in the UK, with Noy admitting to feeling similarly out of place when wandering into a pub in rural Cornwall on holiday. “And we binge-watched a lot of Twin Peaks,” she adds. “That show was a huge influence and part of why we wanted to bring Swery on board.”
Of course, not everything from initial concepts made it to the final design. Nakamura and Mattori’s mascot creations had to be adapted to fit similar shapes and sizes so animations could remain consistent across the board. Clarke Smith notes that this kind of adaptation was common: “Sometimes a design didn’t quite fit, but if most of it worked, we found a way to integrate it.”
Building this new game posed challenges distinct from their debut with Paradise Killer. Clarke Smith recounts, “In those early days, it was just Phil and me figuring out how to create a video game. While transitioning from a mystery game to management gameplay was a big leap conceptually, it felt a bit smoother this time around.” Despite being the most challenging project he’s tackled, he acknowledges that the team’s communication has matured, becoming more intuitive.
Crabtree adds that some systems carried over from Paradise Killer, providing a useful foundation. “We didn’t have to start from scratch with everything. A lot of coding was already in place, needing just tweaks here and there, which allowed more time for design.” Early development included more intensive management systems, such as a robust calendar-style structure, but this approach clashed with the game’s laid-back vibe and focus on character interaction. “We had to balance complexity with playability,” he explains. “Now, the management elements are substantial yet not overwhelming.”
In managing your mascots, you’ll send them on assignments where they might encounter unexpected challenges—from stuck doors to pesky dogs. These scenarios stem from “a hilarious brainstorming of potential mascot calamities” after researching mascot fails on YouTube. The team needed scenarios that were manageable to script and could be resolved with creative player intervention.
This latest game evolved from an initial idea Noy had, inspired by Kairosoft’s Game Dev Story. “We wanted to push boundaries and move beyond a small-scale simulation game,” Clarke Smith explains. “There were business concerns about sustainability. Could a 2D management game keep us afloat?”
Throughout development, certain features were fine-tuned or discarded when they didn’t fit the project’s evolving vision. For example, there were early ideas about including loans or racing segments with Michi and Pinky, but these were never fully implemented. Clarke Smith explains, “In open-world gaming, racing is a staple, but we realized we didn’t need it to add excitement.”
The possibility of incorporating such elements still lingers in the background, especially if a future opportunity for an Initial D-themed DLC arises. But for now, the focus is on refining what’s currently in place.
Before any additional content can be contemplated, the team awaits the response to Promise Mascot Agency’s upcoming release, but they’re optimistic. “For a small team, we’ve achieved something significant,” says Crabtree. “I’ve played through the opening hours countless times, whether for testing or troubleshooting, and I still find surprises that make me smile. With Paradise Killer, that sense of satisfaction hit me right before launch. This time, it’s been there longer.”
Noy shares that she’s deeply attached to their characters. “I’ll be sad when we’re no longer working on this. I believe there are others out there who will adore them as much as I do.” There’s a hint of nerves, as the team hopes players will appreciate their vision, but they’re buoyed by the positive reception so far.
“We’ve crafted the game we set out to make,” Clarke Smith concludes. “We’re confident, knowing people loved the narrative and characters of Paradise Killer. We’ve carried those strengths into this new venture. If it’s your kind of game, you’re going to love it.”
