Pretty Cool Games was launched 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 mission is to build a studio that operates on sustainable principles, treats its staff fairly and shares the financial upside of successful games with the people who create them.
Shefta brings extensive leadership experience to the venture. She previously headed No Brakes Games Tenerife, where she oversaw the development of Human: Fall Flat.
In addition to her industry résumé, she has been elected to the board of the UK Interactive Entertainment Association (TIGA) and sits on the BAFTA Games Committee, giving her a broad perspective on the business and creative sides of the sector. Dudley, the studio’s creative lead, was also part of the original Human: Fall Flat team.
His résumé includes stints at Sony Interactive Entertainment, Lionhead Studios, Rare and Marmalade Game Studio, giving him a deep well of experience in both large‑scale and indie environments. To get the UK‑based, fully remote 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 explains that while raising capital is challenging in the current climate, the appetite for fresh, innovative games remains strong.
"From our very first conversation with Hypergryph, we clicked. They loved our concept, embraced our long‑term vision and were enthusiastic about our off‑beat ideas.
The fact that they are developers themselves, now supporting other studios, made them a perfect partner for us," she told GamesIndustry.biz. The bulk of the funding is earmarked for the studio’s debut title, a game that draws creative inspiration from Nintendo’s playfulness, Hazelight’s narrative‑driven co‑op experiences, the immersive storytelling found in Disney theme parks, and the physical comedy of classic films such as The Pink Panther. Shefta says the team wants to craft an experience that remains memorable and delightful years after its initial release. "We are leaning into creativity as a core pillar, not just for us but for our players.
By giving them a physics‑based sandbox and level‑design tools that encourage wild, unexpected outcomes, we hope to spark endless experimentation and personal expression," she added. The Hypergryph investment also allows Pretty Cool Games to assemble a small, focused crew that can be maintained over the long term. Currently the studio employs four full‑time staff members and plans to grow to ten.
Upcoming hires include a lead designer, a level designer, an environment artist and a concept artist. In the future, the studio intends to bring on quality‑assurance specialists and contract contributors for character art, audio, user‑interface design and a composer. Shefta emphasizes that keeping the core team lean enables the studio to be ambitious yet realistic about scope.
"We are building a studio that rewards its people for success – for example through share‑ownership schemes – so when a game performs well, the whole team benefits. Recent mass layoffs in the industry have shown that success does not always translate to job security, and we want to avoid that pitfall," she explained. Her ultimate goal is to blend the best practices of AAA production – disciplined quality control, deep understanding of what makes an IP thrive – with the agility and experimental spirit of indie development. "AAA taught me the importance of quality and the risks of bloated budgets that can make recouping costs impossible.
Indie teams can move faster, iterate cheaply and focus on the core fun. By keeping the team small, each member has a meaningful impact on the final product, which is incredibly rewarding for creators," Shefta reflected. The studio’s philosophy centers on putting the player experience and employee wellbeing at the forefront. 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 will stay true to our commitment to build games the right way – with fairness, creativity and sustainability at the heart of everything we do," 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 their ambitious, comedy‑infused physics adventure to market while maintaining the ethical and creative standards that define the studio’s identity.