Pretty Cool Games was founded by two veterans of the hit title Human: Fall Flat—Sitara Shefta, who now serves as chief executive officer, and Will Dudley, the chief creative officer. Their shared vision is to build a studio that operates sustainably, treats its staff fairly, and directly rewards the team when the games succeed. Shefta brings a wealth of leadership experience, having previously acted as CEO and studio head of No Brakes Games Tenerife, where she oversaw the creation of Human: Fall Flat.
In addition to her industry résumé, she was recently appointed to the board of the UK Interactive Entertainment Association (TIGA) and holds a seat on the BAFTA Games Committee, underscoring her standing within the British games community. Dudley, on the other hand, was part of the original Human: Fall Flat development team and has a résumé that includes stints at Sony Interactive Entertainment, Lionhead Studios, Rare, and Marmalade Game Studio.
His background spans both large‑scale console projects and smaller, experimental titles, giving him a broad perspective on game design and production. To get the new, fully remote UK studio off the ground, Pretty Cool Games secured an undisclosed investment from Hypergryph, the Chinese developer best known for the popular mobile RPG Arknights: Endfield.
Shefta explained to GamesIndustry.biz that while raising capital can be challenging in the current market, the appetite for fresh, innovative games remains strong. She added that the initial conversations with Hypergryph were “a perfect fit”: the Chinese studio loved the concept for Pretty Cool Games’ debut title, embraced the founders’ whimsical ideas, and shared a commitment to supporting other developers. This alignment of values convinced Shefta and Dudley to form a partnership with a company that was not only a successful game maker but also an enthusiastic backer of new talent. According to Shefta, the bulk of the funding will be funneled into the studio’s first game, a project that draws creative inspiration from a diverse set of sources.
Nintendo’s playful design philosophy, Hazelight’s narrative‑driven multiplayer experiences (best known for titles like *It Takes Two*), the immersive storytelling found in Disney theme‑park attractions, and the physical comedy of classic films such as *The Pink Panther* all inform the game’s direction. Shefta summed up the ambition: “We want to craft something memorable, timeless, and so much fun that players look back on it with delight years after their first play session.” Creativity, she emphasized, is a cornerstone of the studio’s ethos—not only for the developers but also for the players. The upcoming title will leverage the open‑ended possibilities of a physics‑based engine, giving gamers the freedom to experiment, solve puzzles in unconventional ways, and generate chaotic, laugh‑inducing moments.
The level‑design systems are being built to encourage emergent gameplay, where simple actions can cascade into wildly unexpected outcomes, echoing the slap‑stick humor that inspired the concept. The investment also allows Pretty Cool Games to assemble a small, focused team that can be sustained over the long term. At present the studio employs four full‑time staff members, and the founders plan to grow the core to ten people. Immediate hires include a lead designer, a level designer, an environment artist, and a concept artist.
Future recruitment will expand into quality assurance, contract roles for character art, audio, UI design, and even a dedicated composer. Shefta stressed that keeping the core team lean enables the studio to be ambitious in scope while remaining practical and agile.
A central goal of the founders is to create a workplace that rewards its creators. In an industry where layoffs have become commonplace despite successful releases, Shefta wants to avoid that pattern. She outlined a plan to implement employee share schemes, ensuring that if the games perform well, the entire team shares in the upside.
“We are building a studio that is fair to our employees, that values their wellbeing, and that aligns their success with the success of the games we make,” she said. Shefta also described the studio’s strategic positioning: “We aim to take the best practices of AAA development—rigorous quality standards, deep understanding of what makes an IP thrive—and combine them with the speed, flexibility, and experimental spirit of a small indie team.” Her experience in AAA taught her the importance of disciplined production pipelines and the pitfalls of massive budgets that can lead to wasteful decisions and difficult recoupment. By contrast, indie development allows for rapid iteration, focused experimentation, and the ability to double‑down on one or two core ideas that feel right. Working in a small team, she noted, gives each member a larger voice in shaping the final product, which is both empowering and creatively fulfilling.
This collaborative environment is intended to translate into a game that feels personal and resonant for players, while also fostering a studio culture where staff feel genuinely invested in the outcome. Ultimately, Shefta’s vision for Pretty Cool Games is a studio that puts the player experience and employee wellbeing at the forefront. She acknowledges that launching a new studio will inevitably bring challenges, but she is confident that the collective experience she and Dudley have accumulated over years of development will guide them.
“We will stay true to our commitment to build games the right way—fair, fun, and sustainable,” she concluded. The studio is actively seeking additional investment and a publishing partner to bring its debut title to market, and it remains open to collaborations that share its values of creativity, fairness, and long‑term sustainability.