Pretty Cool Games has been launched by two seasoned veterans of Human: Fall Flat – Sitara Shefta, who now serves as chief executive officer, and Will Dudley, the chief creative officer. Their ambition is to build a studio that operates on sustainable principles, treats its staff fairly, and shares the financial upside of successful titles with the people who create them.
Shefta brings a wealth of leadership experience to the venture. She previously ran No Brakes Games Tenerife as CEO and studio head, where she oversaw the development of Human: Fall Flat.
In addition to her industry résumé, she has recently been elected to the board of TIGA and sits on the BAFTA Games Committee, giving her a broad perspective on the business and cultural aspects of game making. Dudley, the studio’s CCO, was one of the original members of the Human: Fall Flat team. His career spans several high‑profile developers, including stints at Sony Interactive Entertainment, Lionhead Studios, Rare, and Marmalade Game Studio, providing a deep well of technical and creative expertise. To get the fully remote, UK‑based operation off the ground, Pretty Cool Games secured an undisclosed investment from Hypergryph, the Chinese studio best known for the mobile RPG Arknights: Endfield.
Shefta explained to GamesIndustry.biz that while raising capital is challenging in the current market, the appetite for fresh gaming experiences remains strong. "From our very first conversation with Hypergryph, we clicked. They loved our concept, backed our long‑term studio vision, and embraced our off‑beat ideas. The fact that they are developers themselves, now supporting other developers, made them an ideal partner," she said.
The bulk of the funding is earmarked for the studio’s debut title, a game that draws creative inspiration from a diverse set of sources: the whimsical design language of Nintendo, the narrative‑driven co‑op experiences of Hazelight (the makers of *It Takes Two*), the immersive storytelling found in Disney theme parks, and the physical comedy of classic films such as *The Pink Panther*. 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 sits at the core of Pretty Cool Games’ philosophy, not only for the development team but also for the players.
The upcoming title will give gamers a sandbox of physics‑based interaction, combined with carefully designed systems and levels that encourage unexpected, humorous outcomes. "We are leaning into creativity as a pillar of our studio, and that applies to our players as well," Shefta noted. "The freedom inherent in a physics game, paired with our level design, will let players express themselves in wildly entertaining ways." The investment also allows the studio to assemble a small, focused team that Shefta hopes to keep sustainable over the long term. Currently, Pretty Cool Games employs four full‑time staff members and plans to grow to ten.
The immediate hiring pipeline includes a lead designer, a level designer, an environment artist, and a concept artist. Future hires will cover quality assurance, contract roles for character art, audio, UI, and a dedicated composer.
Shefta emphasized the importance of keeping the core team lean while remaining ambitious in scope. "We are being ambitious but practical about what we can achieve," she said.
"We also want a studio model that rewards employees for success. Recent mass layoffs in the industry have shown that many developers aren’t sharing in the profits of the games they help create. We plan to implement share schemes so that if our games do well, the whole team benefits." The overarching goal, according to Shefta, is to blend the best practices of AAA development—rigorous quality standards and an understanding of what makes a franchise successful—with the agility and experimental spirit of a smaller indie outfit. "Working in AAA taught me discipline around quality and the importance of a strong IP," she reflected.
"But those massive budgets often lead to wasteful decisions and make recouping costs difficult. Indie development lets you iterate quickly, focus on a few core ideas, and bring something truly special to market." Being part of a compact team also means each member has a larger influence on the final product, which Shefta finds creatively fulfilling. "When everyone can shape the game, the experience feels more meaningful for us as creators," she added. Ultimately, Pretty Cool Games aims to prioritize both player enjoyment and employee wellbeing.
Shefta acknowledges that launching a new studio will inevitably bring challenges, but she is confident that the combined experience of the leadership team will guide them through. "We’ll rely on the significant experience and knowledge we’ve built over the years, and stay strong on our commitment to build games in the right way," she concluded. The studio is actively seeking additional investment and a publishing partner for its first title, hoping to secure the resources needed to bring its whimsical, physics‑driven vision to a global audience while maintaining the ethical, sustainable workplace model it champions.