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 when the company succeeds.
Shefta previously led No Brakes Games Tenerife as CEO and studio head, overseeing the development of Human : Fall Flat. She has recently been appointed to the board of the UK Interactive Entertainment association (TIGA) and sits on the BAFTA Games Committee, giving her a strong voice in industry policy. Dudley 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, providing a breadth of experience across both large‑scale and indie projects. To get the new, fully remote, UK‑based studio off the ground, Pretty Cool Games secured an undisclosed investment from Chinese developer Hypergryph, best known for the mobile RPG Arknights: Endfield.
Shefta explained to GamesIndustry.biz that raising capital is currently challenging, but the appetite for fresh gaming experiences remains strong. "From our very first conversation with Hypergryph we clicked," she said.
"They loved our concept, backed our long‑term vision and embraced our off‑beat ideas. It was refreshing to partner with fellow developers who are as enthusiastic about supporting other studios as we are about making games." According to Shefta, the bulk of the funding will be poured into the studio’s debut title. The game draws creative inspiration from a mix of sources: Nintendo’s timeless playfulness, Hazelight’s narrative‑driven co‑op design (the studio behind *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, timeless and so much fun that players look back on it with delight years after their first play session." Creativity is positioned as a core pillar of Pretty Cool Games, not just for the development team but for the players as well.
The upcoming title will give gamers a sandbox of physics‑based mechanics, combined with level‑design systems that encourage wild, unexpected outcomes. "We’re giving players the freedom to be inventive and express themselves through play," Shefta noted. "The physics engine provides the raw material, while our design tools shape those moments into memorable experiences." The Hypergryph investment also enables the studio to grow a small, focused team that Shefta hopes to keep sustainable over the long term.
Currently, Pretty Cool Games employs four full‑time staff members, with plans to expand to ten. Immediate hires include a lead designer, a level designer, an environment artist and a concept artist.
Additional contract roles are slated for quality assurance, character art, audio, UI design and a composer. "We’re keeping the core team lean, ambitious yet realistic about scope," Shefta clarified.
"We also want a studio model that rewards its people. Recent industry layoffs have shown that success doesn’t always translate to job security, so we’re exploring share‑scheme arrangements that let the whole team benefit when a game does well." Shefta’s overarching goal is to blend the best practices of AAA development – rigorous quality standards and an understanding of what makes a franchise successful – with the agility and experimental spirit of indie studios. "Working in AAA taught me discipline and the importance of quality, but massive budgets can lead to wasteful decisions and make recouping costs difficult. Indie development lets you iterate quickly, focus on a few strong ideas and bring something special to market." In a smaller team, every individual has a larger impact on the final product, a fact that resonates with Shefta and Dudley as creators.
"When the team is tight‑knit, each voice shapes the game, which feels far more meaningful than being a small cog in a huge machine," Dudley added. Ultimately, Pretty Cool Games aspires to put both the player experience and employee wellbeing at the forefront of its mission. "Challenges are inevitable when launching a new studio, but we’ll lean on the extensive experience we’ve accumulated over the years and stay committed to building games the right way," Shefta 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 ambitious, physics‑driven, comedy‑infused game to market while maintaining its core values of fairness, creativity and sustainability.