Pretty Cool Games was launched 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 ambition is to create a studio that operates sustainably, treats its staff fairly and shares the rewards of success with the whole team.
Shefta previously held the position of CEO and studio head at No Brakes Games Tenerife, where she oversaw the development of Human: Fall Flat. In addition to her industry experience, she was recently appointed to the Board of Directors at TIGA and sits on the BAFTA Games Committee, giving her a strong voice in the UK games community. Dudley, an original member of the Human: Fall Flat team, brings a rich background that includes stints at Sony Interactive Entertainment, Lionhead Studios, Rare and Marmalade Game Studio.
His varied experience across both large‑scale publishers and independent studios informs the studio’s hybrid approach to development. To get the new, fully remote UK operation off the ground, Pretty Cool Games secured an undisclosed investment from the Chinese developer Hypergryph, best known for the mobile RPG Arknights: Endfield. Shefta explained to GamesIndustry.biz that, despite a challenging fundraising climate, the appetite for fresh gaming experiences remains strong.
She added that the first conversation with Hypergryph went exceptionally well: the investor loved the concept for Pretty Cool Games’ debut title, embraced the studio’s long‑term vision and was enthusiastic about the team’s quirky ideas. The fact that Hypergryph is itself a game‑making studio that now supports other developers made the partnership especially appealing.
According to Shefta, the bulk of the capital will be directed toward the studio’s first game, which draws creative inspiration from a diverse set of sources: the whimsical design language of Nintendo, the cooperative storytelling of Hazelight (the creators of *It Takes Two*), the immersive, narrative‑driven attractions found in Disney theme parks, and the physical comedy of classic films such as *The Pink Panther*. Shefta emphasized the desire to craft an experience that remains memorable and delightful for years after its initial release. "We are leaning into creativity as a pillar of our studio, and that applies to our players as well," Shefta said.
"We want to give players the freedom to be inventive and express themselves through play. The physics‑based gameplay provides that freedom, and our level‑design systems are built to encourage wild, unexpected scenarios." The Hypergryph investment also enables Pretty Cool Games to assemble a small, focused team that Shefta hopes will be sustainable over the long term. The studio currently employs four full‑time staff members and plans to grow to ten. Immediate hiring needs include lead design, level design, environment art and concept art.
Future hires will cover quality assurance, contract roles for character art, audio, UI and a dedicated composer. Shefta stressed that keeping the core team small allows the studio to stay ambitious while remaining realistic about scope.
She also highlighted the studio’s commitment to fairness: "We’ve seen many layoffs across the industry that don’t reflect the success of the games those developers created. We want to build something that rewards our team for success, for example through share schemes, so if our games succeed we all benefit together." The overarching goal, according to Shefta, is to "take the best of AAA and combine that with a smaller, focused team that can experiment, iterate fast, and make decisions quickly." Her experience working on AAA projects taught her the importance of disciplined quality 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, often resulting in unsustainable business models. In contrast, indie development can be more nimble, allowing teams to test ideas rapidly, double‑down on what feels right, and discard what doesn’t.
"Being part of a smaller team means that everyone has more influence on shaping the game, and that feels much more meaningful to us as creatives," Dudley added. Ultimately, Pretty Cool Games aims to build a studio that puts both player experience and employee wellbeing at the forefront. Shefta acknowledges that launching a new studio will inevitably bring challenges, but she is confident that the collective experience and knowledge she and Dudley have amassed over the years will guide them. "We remain committed to building games the right way, with a focus on quality, creativity and a sustainable, rewarding environment for our team," she concluded.
The studio is actively seeking additional investment and a publishing partner for its debut title, hoping to secure the resources needed to bring its ambitious, physics‑driven, comedy‑infused game to market while staying true to its core values of fairness, creativity and long‑term sustainability.