Kyoto-based indie studio Denkiworks has unveiled its first game, Tanuki: Pon's Summer, during Xbox's Tokyo Game Show broadcast. This charming adventure game casts players as a lovable BMX-riding tanuki who doubles as the mail carrier for a scenic Japanese village. The game bears some resemblance to Animal Crossing, featuring summer activities like bug collecting and fishing, along with a village teeming with eccentric characters to engage with. However, unlike Animal Crossing, the protagonist Pon is the sole critter in a village otherwise inhabited by humans. Pon can forge or fracture relationships with other characters through a straightforward emoji-based interface. While delivering mail and completing odd jobs for the villagers, Pon can also perform impressive BMX stunts, flipping and grinding through a village inspired by real locations around Kyoto and Sapporo. Pon's ultimate mission is to renovate and adorn the Great Tanuki Shrine in time for the Matsuri festival at the end of summer. Other summer activities include making sushi, karaoke, sumo wrestling, and playing baseball.
Denkiworks was co-founded by three alumni of Q-Games: Liam Edwards, Taku Arioka, and Jan de Graaf. Edwards, also the creator and director of Chuhai Labs' critically acclaimed "golf-like" game Cursed to Golf, worked alongside de Graaf, who served as a programmer on the same project. Tanuki: Pon's Summer is being published by Critical Reflex and is set to release on PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. The release date remains undisclosed.
