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 ambition is to build a studio that operates on sustainable principles, treats its staff fairly, and shares the financial upside of successful games with the people who create them. Shefta brings a wealth of leadership experience to the new venture. Prior to Pretty Cool Games she was the CEO and studio head of No Brakes Games Tenerife, where she oversaw the development of Human: Fall Flat from concept to worldwide release.
Her industry involvement extends beyond studio management; she was recently appointed to the board of directors at TIGA and sits on the BAFTA Games Committee, where she helps shape policy for the broader UK games sector. Dudley, the studio’s CCO, was one of the original members of the Human: Fall Flat team. His résumé includes stints at several high‑profile developers, including Sony Interactive Entertainment, Lionhead Studios, Rare, and Marmalade Game Studio. This blend of indie ingenuity and AAA pedigree gives the duo a unique perspective on how to balance creative freedom with production discipline.
To get the fully remote, UK‑based 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, despite a challenging fundraising climate, the appetite for fresh gaming experiences remains strong. "From our very first conversation with Hypergryph we clicked. They loved our concept, embraced our long‑term vision and were excited about our off‑the‑wall ideas.
It was important to us that our partner was also a game developer who understood the creative process," she said. The bulk of the capital is earmarked for the studio’s debut title, a game that draws inspiration from several distinct sources.
Nintendo’s emphasis on playful, accessible design, Hazelight Studios’ narrative‑driven co‑op experiences (best known for *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 aesthetic and mechanical direction. Shefta summed up the ambition: "We want to craft something memorable and timeless, a game that players look back on with delight years after they first played it." Creativity is positioned as a core pillar of the studio’s identity, both for the developers and the players. The upcoming title will leverage the open‑ended possibilities of a physics‑based engine, allowing players to experiment, solve puzzles, and generate unexpected moments.
"Our level design and systems are built to encourage wild, emergent gameplay," Shefta noted. "We want people to feel free to express themselves through the way they interact with the world we create." The Hypergryph investment also enables Pretty Cool Games to assemble a small, focused team that Shefta hopes will remain stable over the long term. Currently 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. Additional contract positions are slated for character art, audio, UI, and a composer, while quality‑assurance roles will be added as the project matures.
Shefta emphasized the deliberate decision to keep the core team lean. "We’re being ambitious but realistic about scope," she explained. "We want a sustainable operation that treats employees fairly. The industry has seen a wave of layoffs that don’t reflect the success of the games those developers built.
We intend to reward our team through mechanisms like share schemes, so when our games succeed, everyone benefits." The studio’s philosophy is to blend the best practices of AAA development—rigorous quality standards, polished production values—with the agility and experimental spirit of indie teams. "Working in AAA taught me the importance of disciplined quality and understanding what makes an IP thrive," Shefta reflected. "Those massive budgets can lead to wasteful decisions and make recouping costs a nightmare. Indie development, by contrast, lets you iterate quickly, focus on a few strong ideas, and bring something special to market without the overhead." In a small team, each member’s voice carries weight, fostering a sense of ownership that Shefta believes is vital for creative satisfaction.
"When everyone can shape the game, the work feels more meaningful," she said. The ultimate goal, she reiterated, is to build a studio where player experience and employee wellbeing are the top priorities.
Looking ahead, Pretty Cool Games is actively seeking additional investment and a publishing partner to bring its first title to market. The founders are confident that their combined experience, the backing of a seasoned developer like Hypergryph, and a clear commitment to ethical, player‑focused design will position them for success in a competitive landscape. "There will always be challenges when launching a new studio," Shefta acknowledged, "but we will lean on the extensive knowledge we’ve accumulated over the years and stay true to our commitment to build games the right way—responsibly, creatively, and with the people who make them in mind."