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 create a studio that operates sustainably, treats its staff fairly, and shares the financial upside of successful games with the people who build them. Shefta brings a wealth of leadership experience to the venture. She previously ran No Brakes Games Tenerife as its CEO and studio head, where she oversaw the development of Human: Fall Flat.
In addition to her industry résumé, she has been elected to the board of directors at TIGA and sits on the BAFTA Games Committee, giving her a broad perspective on the business and cultural side of gaming. 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 AAA environments and smaller, experimental projects, giving him a unique blend of creative and technical expertise.
To get the new, fully remote UK operation off the ground, Pretty Cool Games secured undisclosed capital from Hypergryph, the Chinese developer best known for the popular RPG Arknights: Endfield. Shefta explained to GamesIndustry.biz that while raising investment is currently challenging, the appetite for fresh, innovative games has not waned. "From our very first conversation with Hypergryph, we clicked.
They loved our concept, embraced our long‑term studio vision, and were enthusiastic about our off‑beat ideas. The fact that they are developers themselves, now supporting other studios, made them stand out, and we wanted a partner who shared our excitement," Shefta said. According to Shefta, the bulk of the funding will be directed toward the studio’s debut title.
The game draws inspiration from a variety of sources: the whimsical charm of Nintendo, the cooperative storytelling of Hazelight (the creators of *It Takes Two*), the immersive, narrative‑driven attractions found in Disney theme parks, and the physical comedy of classic films like *The Pink Panther*. The goal is to craft an experience that remains memorable and delightful for years after players first encounter it.
"We want to build something timeless, fun enough that people recall it with a smile long after the first playthrough," Shefta emphasized. "Creativity is a core pillar of our studio, and we want that creativity to flow to our players. By leveraging the freedom inherent in a physics‑based game and combining it with clever level design, we can enable wild, unexpected moments that let players express themselves through play." The investment also allows Pretty Cool Games to assemble a small, focused team that Shefta hopes will remain stable over the long term.
The studio currently employs four full‑time staff members and intends to grow to ten. Immediate hiring plans include a lead designer, a level designer, an environment artist, and a concept artist. Additional contract positions are slated for character art, audio, UI, and a composer, as well as QA support in the future. "We are keeping the core team lean, ambitious yet realistic about scope," Shefta clarified.
"Our aim is to build a sustainable operation that treats employees fairly. Recent industry layoffs have shown that success does not always translate into job security for developers. We want to reward our team through mechanisms such as share schemes, so when a game does well, everyone benefits." Shefta’s vision for the studio is to "take the best practices of AAA development and fuse them with the agility of a small, focused team that can experiment, iterate quickly, and make decisions without bureaucratic delay." She reflected on her AAA background, noting that large budgets can sometimes lead to wasteful choices and make recouping costs difficult, which can be unsustainable in the long run.
"Working in AAA taught me discipline around quality and the elements that make an IP thrive," she said. "But those massive budgets often result in inefficiencies. Indie development, by contrast, allows for rapid experimentation and a focus on what feels right. By honing in on one or two core ideas, you can create something truly special." Being part of a smaller team also means each member has a larger impact on the final product, a factor Shefta finds creatively rewarding.
"When everyone can shape the game, the work feels more meaningful," she added. Ultimately, Pretty Cool Games aims to prioritize player enjoyment and employee wellbeing above all else. Shefta acknowledges that launching a new studio will inevitably present obstacles, but she is confident that the collective experience she and Dudley have amassed over the years will guide them.
"Challenges are inevitable, no matter when you start a studio," Shefta concluded. "We’ll rely on our deep industry knowledge and stay committed to building games the right way—by fostering creativity, fairness, and long‑term sustainability for both our players and our team."