Promise Mascot Agency
Manage mascots, solve mysteries, and survive a curse in rural Japan.
Promise Mascot Agency is an open-world game that mixes adventure with management, created by UK-based studio Kaizen Game Works. Players run a mascot agency, hiring mascots and dispatching them on assignments, all while uncovering why they were banished to rural Japan.
In the game, you play as Michi "The Janitor," a yakuza fixer burdened by a massive debt after a failed job. He relocates to Kyushu in the Japanese countryside, where he must rebuild a mascot agency and help the local community before an anti-yakuza curse kills him. Gameplay involves completing jobs across an open world and recruiting new mascots.
Kaizen, known for *Paradise Killer*, developed the title. Japanese artist and director Ikumi Nakamura created an art bible and designed the mascots. Director Oli Clarke Smith explained the concept started when the art director wanted a management game about mascots, initially as a 2D Kairosoft-style title, but grew into an open-world RPG. Takaya Kuroda, who voices Kazuma Kiryu in the *Yakuza* series, voices Michi. In August 2025, Kaizen released the "Prepare to Grind" update, adding time trials, new difficulty modes, and a truck grinding upgrade, with no further updates planned.
The game received generally favorable reviews on Metacritic, with 83% of critics recommending it on OpenCritic. PC Gamer's Maddi Chilton gave it 94/100, praising its absurdity and gameplay systems, while Slant Magazine rated it 6/10, criticizing driving and aimlessness. It was nominated for Best Indie Game - Self Published at the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards.
- Developer
- Kaizen Game Works
- Publisher
- Kaizen Game Works
- Genre
- Open-world adventure and management game
- Protagonist
- Michi "The Janitor"
- Voice actor for michi
- Takaya Kuroda
- Metacritic reception
- Generally favorable reviews
- Opencritic recommendation rate
- 83%
Lore & Background
The game was developed by United Kingdom-based studio Kaizen, which previously developed Paradise Killer. Japanese artist and video game director Ikumi Nakamura produced an art bible and designed mascots for the title. Game director Oli Clarke Smith stated the concept originated from the art director's desire to make a management game about mascots, initially envisioned as a 2D Kairosoft-like, but evolved into an open-world RPG management game. Takaya Kuroda voices the protagonist Michi.
Reader's Guide
Promise Mascot Agency is significant as a title that combines open-world exploration with management simulation, a hybrid approach that earned it generally favorable reviews on Metacritic and an 83% recommendation rate on OpenCritic. The game's development history shows it grew from a simple 2D management concept into a larger open-world RPG, reflecting the studio's ambition. Its nomination for Best Indie Game - Self Published at the Golden Joystick Awards 2025 highlights its recognition within the indie game community. The "Prepare to Grind" update, released in August 2025, added time trials, new difficulty modes, and a grinding ability upgrade for the player's truck, though the developer stated no further updates were planned. Critical reception varied, with PC Gamer awarding 94/100 for its absurdity and gameplay systems, while Slant Magazine gave 6/10, criticizing driving mechanics and a sense of aimlessness.
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