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 company’s chief creative officer. Their shared vision is to create a studio that operates sustainably, treats its staff fairly, and rewards the team when the games succeed.
Shefta brings extensive leadership experience to the venture. She previously ran No Brakes Games Tenerife, where she oversaw the development of Human: Fall Flat. In addition to her industry reputation, she has been appointed to the board of the UK Interactive Gaming Association (TIGA) and participates on the BAFTA Games Committee, giving her a strong voice in shaping the future of the British games sector.
Dudley, a long‑time collaborator on Human: Fall Flat, has a résumé that includes stints at Sony Interactive Entertainment, Lionhead Studios, Rare, and Marmalade Game Studio. His background spans both large‑scale productions and smaller, experimental projects, giving him a broad perspective on how to blend polish with creative freedom. To get the new, fully remote 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 raising capital is challenging in the current climate, but the appetite for fresh experiences remains strong. She added that the partnership with Hypergryph felt natural because the Chinese studio appreciated the concept for Pretty Cool Games’ debut title, embraced the founders’ whimsical ideas, and, importantly, is itself a game‑making company eager to support other developers.
According to Shefta, the bulk of the funding will be poured into the studio’s first game, which draws inspiration from a diverse set of sources: Nintendo’s timeless playfulness, Hazelight’s narrative‑driven co‑op design (the creators of *It Takes Two*), the immersive storytelling found in Disney theme parks, and the physical comedy of classic films such as *The Pink Panther*. She described the ambition as “creating something memorable, timeless and so much fun that players recall it with delight years after their first play session.” Creativity sits at the heart of the studio’s philosophy, not only for the developers but also for the players.
Shefta said the upcoming title will give gamers a sandbox of physics‑based tools, combined with carefully crafted systems and level layouts that encourage unexpected, often hilarious outcomes. By allowing players to experiment freely, the team hopes to foster a sense of personal expression through gameplay. The investment also enables Pretty Cool Games to build a small, focused core team that can be sustained over the long term.
At present 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. Future contracts will cover character art, audio, UI design, and a composer, while quality‑assurance roles will be added as the project nears completion.
Shefta emphasized that keeping the core team lean allows the studio to stay ambitious yet realistic about scope. “We want a studio that is fair to our employees,” she said, noting that recent industry layoffs have highlighted the disconnect between a game’s commercial success and the treatment of its developers. To address this, Pretty Cool Games intends to implement share‑ownership schemes so that when a title performs well, the entire team benefits financially.
The overarching goal, she explained, is to merge the best practices of AAA development—rigorous quality standards and a deep understanding of what makes an intellectual property thrive—with the agility and experimental spirit of indie studios. Her experience on large‑budget projects taught her that massive spending can lead to wasteful decisions and make recouping costs difficult, whereas a smaller team can iterate quickly, focus on a handful of strong ideas, and deliver a polished experience without the overhead of a blockbuster budget. Working in a compact environment also means every team member has a meaningful impact on the final product. “When the team is small, each person’s voice matters more in shaping the game,” Dudley added, underscoring the creative fulfillment that comes from collaborative decision‑making.
Ultimately, Shefta’s vision for Pretty Cool Games is a studio that puts player enjoyment and employee wellbeing at the forefront. She acknowledges that launching a new studio inevitably brings challenges, but she 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—responsibly, creatively, and sustainably,” she concluded. The studio is also actively seeking additional investment and a publishing partner for its inaugural title, aiming to secure the resources needed to bring its whimsical, physics‑driven adventure to a global audience while maintaining the ethical and creative standards that define its mission.