“It’s tricky to really capture what our game is all about,” Oli Clarke Smith, the head of Promise Mascot Agency, shares with me.
The challenge, as Clarke Smith points out, is finding the right words to describe their creation. Initially, they labeled it as an ‘open-world mascot management crime drama.’ To them, this classification felt spot-on, yet it hasn’t quite painted the full picture for everyone.
“It’s essentially a vast open-world RPG infused with management and creature-collecting elements. Once players dive in, they tend to connect with it and fully grasp what we’re aiming for,” Clarke Smith continues. The positive reception from early reviews has been encouraging, with audiences responding well to the eccentric array of characters the Paradise Killer studio, Kaizen Game Works, has crafted for their eagerly anticipated 2025 release.
This quirky ensemble makes up the game’s mascots, which include such oddities as sentient burial mounds, cats protesting the censorship of adult videos, and charming creatures like Mottsun, who’s simply delightful to manage in the Promise Mascot Agency. Most of these imaginative characters emerged from a collaboration between Kaizen’s resourceful British team—comprising Clarke Smith, technical director Phil Crabtree, and art director Rachel Noy—and the creative prowess of Japan’s esteemed former Tango Gameworks artist, Ikumi Nakamura, alongside Mai Mattori.
“When we approached her initially, we didn’t have much to offer,” Clarke Smith chuckles, reflecting on the post-completion phase of their previous project. “The concept for Promise Mascot Agency was embryonic at best. For a game set in Japan, it was crucial we collaborated with someone local to bring authenticity. The mascots she crafted featured cultural nuances we wouldn’t have reached on our own.”
Kaizen’s commitment to authenticity shines through in their approach. Though they maintain a distinctive style, they encourage collaborators like Nakamura to infuse personal flair into the project. This collaboration enriches the game with diverse lived experiences, such as Nakamura’s anecdote about visiting a bar on Kyushu’s coastline—a setting that inspired PMA’s fictional town of Kaso-Machi.
Her experience of being treated as an “outsider” in Kyushu fed into the development of Kaso-Machi’s atmosphere. Meanwhile, Noy emphasized that the sense of being an outsider resonates universally, as one might feel in a remote UK town. “We drew inspiration from shows like Twin Peaks,” she adds, noting how the series helped expand the project’s creative vision.
Kaizen’s journey involved some adjustments; not every idea Nakamura and Mattori proposed fit seamlessly. Changes ensured that mascot designs aligned well enough to accommodate shared animations. Clarke Smith admits, “Sometimes it’s just a matter of tweaking—keeping the 90% that aligns, and adjusting the rest.”
Transitioning from their first game posed different challenges, especially with Kaizen’s evolution. Clarke Smith reminisces about their initial team of two during Paradise Killer’s development. “Shifting from a mystery to a management game was conceptually significant, but our process improved. Communication flowed naturally.”
Crabtree adds, “Some systems from Paradise Killer were reusable, saving time. We’ve refined them to better suit PMA, allowing us more design flexibility.” Originally, the team envisioned a more complex management element with tasks slated across a calendar. However, they realized this intricate system clashed with the game’s more laid-back atmosphere.
Crabtree observes, “Incorporating elaborate management didn’t mesh well with PMA’s relaxed world. We refined it to achieve a balance where management’s presence is felt but not overwhelming.”
Managing mascots involves dispatching them on various tasks where mishaps might occur—from navigating oddly sized doors to dealing with playful dogs. Crabtree describes these potential pitfalls as a “big old list of silly scenarios,” inspired by videos of mascot fails. They ensured each scenario had a clear “bail resolution,” allowing players to actively assist.
The game’s development journey sprouted from Noy’s original vision for a mascot management simulation, similar to Kairosoft’s Game Dev Story. “We aimed for bigger,” Clarke Smith reveals, considering business sustainability and audience engagement beyond a simple 2D sim.
Some features were sidelined as the game’s identity crystallized, including loans and mini-races with characters Michi and Pinky. “We avoided typical open-world clichés, realizing we didn’t need them,” Clarke Smith notes. They’re intrigued by the idea of revisiting some unused concepts, possibly in future expansions.
Before considering expansions, Kaizen is focused on launching Promise Mascot Agency successfully. “For a small team, our accomplishments are substantial,” Crabtree beams. “Revisiting the game continuously still brings moments of joy, akin to what we felt at Paradise Killer’s launch.”
Noy shares her affection for their virtual creations, expressing a bittersweet anticipation for release and parting with active development. Despite the nerves, prior positive feedback reassures the team of their direction.
Clarke Smith concludes optimistically: “We’ve crafted the game we envisioned. People connected deeply with Paradise Killer’s narrative and characters. With those elements carried forward, I’m confident players will love what we’ve done with PMA just as much.”
