Pretty Cool Games was founded by two seasoned veterans of Human: Fall Flat – Sitara Shefta, who now serves as Chief Executive Officer, and Will Dudley, the company’s Chief Creative Officer. Their shared vision is to create a studio that operates on sustainable principles, treats its staff fairly, and directly rewards the team when the games succeed.
Shefta brings a wealth of leadership experience to the venture. She previously headed No Brakes Games Tenerife as CEO and studio director, where she oversaw the development of Human: Fall Flat. Her industry involvement extends beyond studio work; she has recently been appointed to the Board of Directors at TIGA and sits on the BAFTA Games Committee, where she helps shape policy for the wider UK games sector.
Dudley, on the other hand, was one of the original members of the Human: Fall Flat team. His résumé includes stints at major publishers and developers such as Sony Interactive Entertainment, Lionhead Studios, Rare, and Marmalade Game Studio, giving him a broad perspective on both AAA and indie production pipelines.
To get the new, fully remote, UK‑based studio off the ground, Pretty Cool Games secured an undisclosed investment from Hypergryph, the Chinese developer best known for the mobile RPG Arknights: Endfield. Shefta explained to GamesIndustry.biz that while raising capital is currently challenging, the appetite for fresh, inventive games remains strong. She noted that the initial conversations with Hypergryph were remarkably positive: the investor loved the concept for Pretty Cool Games’ debut title, aligned with the studio’s long‑term vision, and embraced the team’s quirky, off‑beat ideas.
“They are game developers themselves, now supporting other developers, which made them stand out to us. We wanted a partner who was as enthusiastic about our ambitions as we are,” she said. According to Shefta, the bulk of the funding will be allocated to the studio’s first game, which draws creative inspiration from several distinct sources.
Nintendo’s playful design philosophy, Hazelight’s narrative‑driven co‑op experiences (the makers of *It Takes Two*), the immersive storytelling found in Disney theme parks, and the physical comedy of classic films like *The Pink Panther* all inform the project’s direction. Shefta emphasized the desire to craft something that feels timeless and delightful, a title that players will recall with a smile years after their first play session. Creativity is positioned as a core pillar of the studio’s identity, not only for the developers but also for the players.
The upcoming game will give players a sandbox of physics‑based tools and level‑design systems that encourage spontaneous, unexpected outcomes. By combining the freedom inherent in physics puzzles with carefully crafted scenarios, the team hopes to spark moments of surprise and laughter that feel genuinely player‑driven. The Hypergryph investment also enables Pretty Cool Games to build a small, focused team that can be sustained over the long term.
At present the studio employs four full‑time staff members, with plans to grow to ten. Immediate hires include a lead designer, a level designer, an environment artist, and a concept artist.
Future recruitment will target quality‑assurance specialists and contract roles for character art, audio design, UI, and a composer. Shefta stressed that keeping the core team lean allows the studio to stay ambitious yet realistic about scope, and to maintain a fair, rewarding environment for its employees.
Recent waves of layoffs across the industry have highlighted the disconnect between a game’s commercial success and the wellbeing of its developers. Shefta wants to avoid that pitfall by introducing mechanisms such as share schemes, ensuring that if a game performs well, the entire team shares in the upside. She described the studio’s ambition as “taking the best of AAA—its discipline, quality standards—and marrying it with the agility and experimental spirit of a smaller indie outfit.” Her experience working on AAA projects taught her the importance of rigorous quality control and an understanding of what makes an intellectual property thrive. However, she also observed that massive budgets can lead to wasteful decisions and make recouping costs difficult, threatening long‑term viability.
By contrast, indie development offers the ability to iterate quickly, test ideas in a low‑risk environment, and double‑down on the concepts that genuinely resonate with players. Being part of a compact team means each member’s contribution has a noticeable impact on the final product, a dynamic Shefta finds creatively fulfilling.
The ultimate goal for Pretty Cool Games is to build a studio that puts the player experience and employee wellbeing at the forefront of every decision. While launching a new studio inevitably brings challenges, Shefta is confident that the collective experience she and Dudley have amassed over the years will guide them.
“We will stay true to our commitment to build games the right way,” she concluded.