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 sustainably, treats its staff fairly, and shares the financial upside of its successes with the people who create the games. 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 was recently appointed to the board of TIGA and sits on the BAFTA Games Committee, giving her a strong voice in the broader UK games ecosystem. Dudley, the studio’s creative lead, was one of the original members of the Human: Fall Flat team.
His résumé includes stints at Sony Interactive Entertainment, Lionhead Studios, Rare, and Marmalade Game Studio, giving him a diverse background across both large‑scale and indie projects. To get the new, fully remote UK 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 investment climate, the appetite for fresh, inventive games remains strong. She added that the early conversations with Hypergryph clicked instantly: the Chinese studio loved the concept for Pretty Cool Games’ first title, embraced their long‑term vision, and appreciated the team’s off‑beat sense of humor.
“They are developers themselves who are now supporting other developers, which made them stand out to us,” Shefta said. “We wanted a partner who was as enthusiastic about our ambitions as we are.” The bulk of the funding is earmarked for the studio’s debut game, a project that draws inspiration from a wide range of sources: Nintendo’s playful design ethos, Hazelight’s narrative‑driven cooperative experiences (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 and timeless—so much fun that players look back on it with delight years after they first played.” Creativity is positioned as a core pillar of the studio’s philosophy, both for the developers and the players. The upcoming title will give players a high degree of freedom, leveraging physics‑based gameplay to enable wild, unexpected scenarios. “We are building systems and level designs that encourage players to experiment and express themselves through play,” Shefta explained.
“The combination of physics freedom and our bespoke tools should lead to moments that feel both surprising and rewarding.” The investment also allows Pretty Cool Games to assemble a small, focused team that Shefta hopes can be sustained over the long term. Currently the studio employs four full‑time staff members and plans to grow to ten.
Immediate hiring needs include a lead designer, a level designer, an environment artist, and a concept artist. In the longer run, the studio intends to bring on quality‑assurance personnel and contract specialists for character art, audio, UI, and a composer.
"We are keeping the core team tight, ambitious yet realistic about scope," Shefta noted. "We also want to build a studio that rewards its people—share schemes, for example, mean that if our games succeed, the whole team benefits together." Shefta’s vision is to blend the best practices of AAA development—discipline, quality focus, and an understanding of what makes a franchise successful—with the agility and experimental spirit of indie studios.
"Working in AAA taught me the importance of disciplined quality and the pitfalls of massive budgets that can lead to wasteful decisions," she reflected. "Indie development lets you iterate quickly, focus on a handful of strong ideas, and bring something special to market without the crushing financial pressure that big studios often face." Being part of a smaller team also means each member has a larger impact on the final product, a factor that resonates deeply with the creative staff. "When everyone can shape the game, the work feels more meaningful," Dudley added. Ultimately, the studio’s overarching goal is to place the player experience and employee wellbeing at the forefront of every decision.
Shefta acknowledges that launching a new studio will inevitably bring challenges, but she is confident that the collective experience she and Dudley have amassed over the years will guide them. "We are committed to building games the right way, with a sustainable business model that values people as much as profit," she concluded.
Pretty Cool Games is also actively seeking additional investment and a publishing partner for its first title, aiming to secure the resources needed to bring its ambitious, humor‑laden vision to life while maintaining the ethical and sustainable standards that define the studio’s core mission.