Pretty Cool Games has been founded by two veterans of the hit title Human : Fall Flat – Sitara Shefta, who will serve as chief executive officer, and Will Dudley, taking on the role of chief creative officer. Their shared ambition is to build a studio that not only produces entertaining experiences but also operates on a sustainable model that treats its staff fairly and shares the fruits of success with them. Shefta comes to the new venture with a solid pedigree.
She previously led No Brakes Games Tenerife as CEO and studio head, overseeing the development of Human : Fall Flat from concept to worldwide release. 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 contributes to shaping policy and supporting the broader gaming community. Dudley, the studio’s creative lead, was one of the original members of the Human : Fall Flat team. His résumé includes stints at major developers such as Sony Interactive Entertainment, Lionhead Studios, Rare, and Marmalade Game Studio, giving him a breadth of experience across both large‑scale and indie projects.
To get Pretty Cool Games off the ground, the founders secured undisclosed capital from Hypergryph, the Chinese studio best known for the popular mobile RPG Arknights: Endfield. The partnership was forged quickly: Shefta told GamesIndustry.biz that the first conversation with Hypergryph went smoothly because the investors loved the concept for the new game, resonated with the studio’s long‑term vision, and appreciated the founders’ quirky, experimental ideas. She added that Hypergryph’s status as a developer‑turned‑investor made the collaboration feel especially natural, as both parties share a genuine enthusiasm for nurturing fresh talent. According to Shefta, the bulk of the funding will be poured into the studio’s debut project.
The game draws inspiration from a variety of sources: the whimsical charm of Nintendo’s catalog, the cooperative storytelling of Hazelight (the creators of *It Takes Two* and *A Way Out*), the immersive world‑building found in Disney theme parks, and the physical comedy of classic cinema 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 they first played it.” Creativity is positioned as a core pillar of the studio’s identity, not just for the developers but for the players as well.
The upcoming title will give gamers a sandbox‑like physics system that encourages experimentation, paired with level‑design tools that can produce unexpected, often hilarious scenarios. By granting players the freedom to approach challenges in many ways, Pretty Cool Games hopes to foster a sense of personal expression through play. The investment also allows the studio to grow a small, tightly‑focused team that Shefta believes can be sustainable over the long term. At present, Pretty Cool Games employs four full‑time staff members, with plans to expand 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, user‑interface work, and a composer. Shefta emphasized that keeping the core team lean enables the studio to stay ambitious while remaining realistic about scope and resources. A key part of the studio’s philosophy is fairness to employees.
In an industry where large layoffs have become commonplace despite successful releases, Shefta wants to build a company that rewards its team when the games succeed. She mentioned the possibility of implementing share‑ownership schemes so that profit sharing aligns the interests of staff and founders alike.
Shefta articulated a hybrid approach to development: “We aim to take the best practices of AAA production—discipline, quality focus, and an understanding of what makes an IP thrive—while leveraging the agility and experimental spirit of a smaller indie team.” She reflected on her AAA experience, noting that massive budgets can lead to wasteful decisions and make recouping costs difficult. By contrast, indie development often allows for rapid iteration, focused experimentation, and the ability to double‑down on one or two strong ideas, resulting in a product that feels distinctive and polished. Working in a compact team also means each member has a larger impact on the final product, which Shefta finds creatively fulfilling. The studio’s ultimate goal is to place the player’s experience and employee wellbeing at the forefront of every decision.
She acknowledges that launching a new studio inevitably brings challenges, but she is confident that the combined experience of herself and Dudley, along with the support from Hypergryph, will guide them in building games the right way. In summary, Pretty Cool Games is a freshly minted UK studio founded by seasoned developers from Human : Fall Flat, backed by Hypergryph’s investment, and driven by a mission to blend AAA quality standards with indie flexibility.
Their first title promises a playful, physics‑driven adventure inspired by classic slapstick comedy and immersive storytelling, all while championing a fair, sustainable workplace for its creators.