Software:Promise Mascot Agency
Promise Mascot Agency is an open-world adventure and management game developed and published by Kaizen Game Works. In the game, the player manages a mascot agency, recruits mascots, and sends them on jobs while solving the mystery of their exile to rural Japan.[1]
Gameplay
The player takes on the role of Michi "The Janitor", a yakuza fixer who owes a big debt after a job goes wrong. Michi agrees to move to Kyushu in rural Japan, where he must revive a mascot agency and restore the community, all before an anti-yakuza curse kills him.[2]
In doing so, the player is tasked with completing jobs around the open world and recruiting mascots.
Development
United Kingdom-based[3] studio Kaizen previously developed Paradise Killer.[4] Japanese artist and video game director Ikumi Nakamura produced an art bible and designed mascots for the title.[5] In an interview, game director Oli Clarke Smith stated the game's concept came from "Rachel (our Art Director) wanted to make a management game about mascots. Her original idea was a 2D Kairosoft-like, but Phil (our Tech Director) and I wanted to create something bigger." The game then evolved into an open-world RPG management game.[6] Takaya Kuroda, the voice of Kazuma Kiryu in the Yakuza / Like a Dragon series voices Michi.[7]
Kaizen released the "Prepare to Grind" update for the game in August 2025. The update included time trials, new difficulty modes, and a grinding ability upgrade for the player's truck. The developer stated that no further updates were currently planned for the title.[8][9]
Release and Reception
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Upon release, the game received generally favorable reviews, according to review aggregator website Metacritic. OpenCritic determined that 84% of critics recommended the game.
Maddi Chilton, writing for PC Gamer, awarded the title 94/100, praising the game's absurdity and the construction of its gameplay systems.[14] In a more mixed review, Slant Magazine awarded the game 6/10, criticizing driving mechanics and its sense of aimlessness.[15]
The game is nominated for Best Indie Game - Self Published at the Golden Joystick Awards 2025.[16]
References
- ↑ "Promise Mascot Agency is exactly the kind of deranged open world management game I need right now". https://www.eurogamer.net/promise-mascot-agency-is-exactly-the-kind-of-deranged-open-world-management-game-i-need-right-now.
- ↑ "Promise Mascot Agency is a video game sitcom". https://www.polygon.com/gaming/560594/promise-mascot-agency-review/.
- ↑ "About" (in en-UK). https://kaizengameworks.com/about/.
- ↑ Seagrave, Richard (18 March 2022). "Paradise Killer is Out Now on Xbox and PlayStation, And It's Heavenly". https://www.gamespew.com/2022/03/paradise-killer-ps5-impressions/.
- ↑ "Kaizen Game Works Interview". https://www.thexboxhub.com/inside-the-bizarre-world-of-promise-mascot-agency-an-exclusive-interview-with-kaizen-game-works/.
- ↑ ""7 out of 10 PS2 games are what I live for" - Promise Mascot Agency Game Director Oli Clarke Smith on development, self-publishing, Switch 2, & more". https://www.rpgsite.net/interview/18162-7-out-10-ps2-games-are-what-i-live-for-promise-mascot-agency-game-directoroli-clarke-smith-on-development-self-publishing-switch-2-more.
- ↑ "Michi and Pinky's Wild Ride, or Promise Mascot Agency". https://www.gamerswithglasses.com/reviews/promise-mascot-agency-review#:~:text=To%20bring%20all%20of%20these,and%20Ayano%20Shibuya%20(Pinky)..
- ↑ "Promise Mascot Agency Prepare to Grind Update now available". https://www.rpgsite.net/news/18105-promise-mascot-agency-prepare-to-grind-update-august-patch-notes.
- ↑ "Promise Mascot Agency update adds Tony Hawk-level truck rail grinding I didn't know I needed, and new difficulty modes". https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/promise-mascot-agency-update-adds-tony-hawk-level-truck-rail-grinding-i-didnt-know-i-needed-and-new-difficulty-modes.
- ↑ "Promise Mascot Agency PC Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/promise-mascot-agency/critic-reviews/?platform=pc.
- ↑ "Promise Mascot Agency PS5 reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/promise-mascot-agency/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-5.
- ↑ "Promise Mascot Agency Xbox Series X Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/promise-mascot-agency/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-series-x.
- ↑ "Promise Mascot Agency Reviews". https://opencritic.com/game/18203/promise-mascot-agency. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Promise Mascot Agency review". https://www.pcgamer.com/games/visual-novel/promise-mascot-agency-review/.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 "'Promise Mascot Agency' Review: An Esoteric, If Aimless, Japanese Business Sim". https://www.slantmagazine.com/games/promise-mascot-agency-review/.
- ↑ Harris, Iain (2025-10-03). "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leads the Golden Joystick Award 2025 charge for most nominations, nudging out Death Stranding 2, Ghost of Yotei, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2" (in en). https://www.gamesradar.com/games/events-conferences/clair-obscur-expedition-33-leads-the-golden-joystick-award-2025-charge-for-most-nominations-nudging-out-death-stranding-2-ghost-of-yotei-and-kingdom-come-deliverance-2/.
External links
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