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 rewards them proportionally to the success of the games they create. Shefta brings extensive 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 directors at TIGA and holds a seat on the BAFTA Games Committee, giving her a broad perspective on the UK games ecosystem.
Dudley, on the other hand, was an original member of the Human: Fall Flat team and has a résumé that spans several high‑profile developers. He has worked at Sony Interactive Entertainment, Lionhead Studios, Rare and Marmalade Game Studio, giving him a deep understanding of both large‑scale production pipelines and the more experimental indie mindset. To get the new, fully remote, UK‑based studio off the ground, Pretty Cool Games secured an undisclosed investment from the Chinese developer Hypergryph, best known for the tactical RPG Arknights: Endfield. Shefta explained to GamesIndustry.biz that raising capital is currently challenging, but the appetite for fresh, inventive games remains strong.
"From our very first conversation with Hypergryph we clicked," Shefta said. "They loved our concept, they backed our long‑term studio vision and they were enthusiastic about our off‑beat ideas. It was a relief to find a partner who is also a game developer and who wants to support other creators. Their excitement matched ours, which made the partnership feel natural." According to Shefta, the bulk of the funding will be directed toward the studio’s debut title.
The game draws creative inspiration from a mix of sources: the whimsical charm of Nintendo, the narrative‑driven co‑op design of Hazelight (the studio behind *It Takes Two*), the immersive storytelling found in Disney theme‑park attractions, and the physical comedy of classic films like *The Pink Panther*. "We want to craft something that feels timeless and unforgettable," she emphasized. "A game that players will look back on years later and smile because it was simply that fun." Creativity, she added, is a core pillar of the studio’s philosophy—not only for the developers but also for the players.
By leveraging the freedom inherent in a physics‑based game and coupling it with clever level‑design systems, Pretty Cool Games aims to give players the tools to experiment, cause chaos and express themselves in unexpected ways. The Hypergryph investment also allows the studio to grow a small, focused team that Shefta hopes to keep sustainable over the long haul. At present, Pretty Cool Games employs four full‑time staff members and intends to expand to ten. Immediate hiring plans include a lead designer, a level designer, an environment artist and a concept artist.
In the future, the studio will bring on quality‑assurance specialists and contract talent for character art, audio, user‑interface work and a composer. "We are deliberately keeping the core team lean while still being ambitious about what we can achieve," Shefta clarified.
"Our goal is to build a studio that treats its people fairly. The industry has seen a wave of layoffs that don’t reflect the success of the games those developers helped create. We want to reverse that by offering share‑scheme incentives so that when a title succeeds, the whole team benefits." Shefta describes the studio’s ambition as a hybrid model: "Take the best practices of AAA—high production values, disciplined quality control—and combine them with the agility and experimental spirit of a small indie team." Her experience in AAA taught her the importance of disciplined quality and an understanding of what makes an intellectual property thrive.
However, she also witnessed how massive budgets can lead to wasteful decisions and make it difficult to recoup costs, which can be unsustainable in the long term. By contrast, indie development allows for rapid iteration, focused experimentation and the ability to double‑down on one or two compelling ideas.
"In a smaller team, every individual has a bigger impact on the final product," she noted. "That sense of ownership is incredibly motivating for creatives." Ultimately, Shefta’s vision for Pretty Cool Games is a studio that puts the player experience 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’ll rely on the knowledge we’ve built, stay true to our commitment to develop games the right way, and keep our focus on making something that both our players and our team can be proud of," Shefta concluded.
The studio is actively seeking additional investment and a publishing partner for its inaugural title, aiming to secure the resources needed to bring their ambitious, comedy‑infused, physics‑driven adventure to market while maintaining the ethical and sustainable values they champion.