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 sustainable development house that treats its staff fairly and rewards them for the success they help create.
Shefta brings a wealth of leadership experience to the venture. She previously ran No Brakes Games Tenerife as its CEO and studio head, overseeing the development of Human: Fall Flat. In addition to her industry pedigree, she was recently appointed to the board of TIGA and sits on the BAFTA Games Committee, giving her a broad perspective on the business and creative sides of the medium.
Dudley, the studio’s CCO, was an original member of the Human: Fall Flat team and 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 versatile skill set that complements Shefta’s managerial expertise. To get the new, fully remote, UK‑based studio off the ground, Pretty Cool Games secured undisclosed capital from the Chinese developer Hypergryph, best known for the popular RPG Arknights: Endfield.
Shefta told GamesIndustry.biz that, despite a generally tight investment climate, there remains a strong appetite for fresh, innovative games. She praised Hypergryph’s enthusiasm for the studio’s vision, noting that the partnership formed quickly because the Chinese firm “loved the game concept, supported our long‑term plan and embraced our wacky ideas.” She also highlighted that Hypergryph is a game‑making studio that is now extending support to other developers, a rarity that made the collaboration especially attractive. According to Shefta, the bulk of the funding will be directed toward the studio’s debut title.
The game draws inspiration from a mix of sources: the whimsical charm of Nintendo’s catalog, the narrative‑driven co‑op design of Hazelight (the creators of *It Takes Two*), the immersive storytelling found in Disney theme‑park attractions, 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 sits at the heart of Pretty Cool Games’ philosophy, not just for the developers but for the players as well.
Shefta explained that the forthcoming title will give gamers a sandbox of physics‑based interaction, paired with level‑design systems that encourage unexpected, hilarious outcomes. This combination, she believes, will let players express themselves through play, creating moments that feel both personal and shareable. The investment also enables the studio to assemble a small, focused team that Shefta hopes to keep sustainable over the long term. Currently, Pretty Cool Games employs four full‑time staff members and intends to grow to ten.
Immediate hires include a lead designer, a level designer, an environment artist, and a concept artist. Future plans call for quality‑assurance specialists and contract roles covering character art, audio, user‑interface design, and a composer.
Shefta emphasized that keeping the core team lean allows the studio to be ambitious yet realistic about scope, while also ensuring that each employee’s contribution is meaningful. A key tenet of the studio’s ethos is fairness. Shefta pointed to recent industry layoffs that occurred despite the commercial success of the affected developers’ games, describing those moves as misaligned with the actual value created.
To counter that trend, Pretty Cool Games intends to implement share‑scheme incentives so that when a game succeeds, the entire team benefits financially. “We are trying to build something that rewards our team for success, for instance through share schemes, so if our games are successful we all benefit together,” she said. Shefta’s goal is to blend the best practices of AAA development—rigorous quality standards and a deep understanding of what makes a franchise endure—with the agility and experimental spirit of indie studios. She reflected on her AAA experience, noting that large budgets can sometimes lead to wasteful decisions and make recouping costs difficult, whereas indie teams can iterate quickly, focus on core ideas, and deliver a polished, enjoyable experience.
Being part of a small team, she added, gives every member a larger voice in shaping the final product, which is both creatively fulfilling and strategically advantageous. “Being part of a smaller team means that everyone has more of an influence on shaping the game and that’s more meaningful to us as creatives too,” she observed. Ultimately, Pretty Cool Games aims to put player enjoyment and employee wellbeing at the forefront of its operations.
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. “There’s always going to be challenges no matter when you launch a new studio, but we’re going to rely on the significant experience and knowledge we’ve built over the years, and stay strong on our commitment to build games in the right way,” she concluded.