The Tanuki’s Journey: From Cycling to Something Bigger

…the Idea.

Denkiworks was founded by the three of us

Liam, Arioka, and Jan. We had worked together before and wanted to create something as a team again.

The idea started with a simple thought

what if we made a game about cycling through Kyoto? Liam, who biked around the city all the time, wanted to capture that feeling of freedom and movement.

At first, it was just about the joy of riding through a city. But we quickly realized we needed a reason for the player to keep cycling — and that’s where deliveries came in. What if Pon wasn’t just aimlessly biking around but actually had a goal? That goal became saving money to restore a shrine, which led to the idea of a Matsuri festival and became an important part of the story.

Matsuri concept art

The festival celebration in the game’s intro animation

Why a Tanuki?

When designing the main character, we wanted something different from the usual dogs and cats. A fox was an option, though not the best fit to be the main, since foxes are already everywhere in the Japanese media. Someone to stand out… Tanuki, on the other hand? They’re funny, mischievous, and deeply tied to Japanese folklore. Thus, it was decided, tanuki it is!

Tanuki sketches

Naming him was easy since "Pon" is linked to the sound of a tanuki belly-slapping in Japanese. The design came together quickly after that. Pon is a bit of a goof—he grew up at the shrine but didn’t really care about it until he had to. The moment we saw his tiny legs, little paws, and oversized bag, we knew we had something special. His strong silhouette and slightly silly face made us fall in love with him right away.

Pon’s concept art

(Yes, we DID think about his… uh, traditional tanuki traits. But, well… Some things better be left out to keep the main concept of the game.) By the way, we still included a fox character, playing into the classic fox-versus-tanuki folklore rivalry. But while the game has mythological nods, it’s not a magical world. Pon’s "sick tricks" might feel like magic, but there's no actual shapeshifting.

The fox in question

What’s next?

At its core, Pon is all about movement and fun, and that focus has shaped the design of the town, as well as the characters you meet, the quest lines, and the exciting activities you'll dive into. We’ll share more on that in future devlogs. Before we sign off, we’ve got some exciting news — Tanuki Pon’s Summer is officially joining Xbox Game Pass! Check out the cool trailer here:

Almost forgot: follow us on X and join Critical Reflex Discord to stay in the loop and share your thoughts!

Now, back to work… there’s still a shrine to fix! See you in the next one. DenkiWorks and Critical Reflex

Steam post image

Steam post image