Pretty Cool Games has been launched by two seasoned veterans of 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 shares the fruits of its success with the people who create the games.
Shefta brings extensive leadership experience, having previously headed No Brakes Games in Tenerife and overseen the development of Human: Fall Flat. In addition to her executive role, she was recently appointed to the board of the UK Interactive Gaming Association (TIGA) and sits on the BAFTA Games Committee, where she helps shape industry standards.
Dudley, an original member of the Human: Fall Flat team, adds a rich background that includes stints at Sony Interactive Entertainment, Lionhead Studios, Rare and Marmalade Game Studio, giving him a broad perspective on both large‑scale and indie production pipelines. To get the new, fully remote UK 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 explained to GamesIndustry.biz that, despite a challenging climate for raising capital, there remains a strong appetite for fresh, innovative games. "From our very first conversation with Hypergryph, we clicked.
They loved our concept, supported our long‑term vision and were enthusiastic about our off‑beat ideas. The fact that they are developers themselves, now helping other studios, made them stand out, and we wanted a partner who shared our excitement," she said. The bulk of the funding is earmarked for the studio’s debut title, a project that draws creative inspiration from a diverse set of sources: Nintendo’s playful design philosophy, Hazelight’s narrative‑driven multiplayer experiences (the makers of *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 playthrough." Creativity is positioned as a core pillar of the studio’s identity, both for the developers and for the players. The upcoming game will give players a sandbox of physics‑based tools, combined with carefully designed levels that encourage unexpected, often humorous outcomes.
"We’re leaning into creativity as a pillar of our studio, and that applies to our players as well. We are developing a game that will allow players to be creative and express themselves through play. This partly comes from the freedom granted to players in a physics game, combined with our systems and level design allowing for all sorts of wild and unexpected scenarios," Shefta explained.
The investment also allows Pretty Cool Games to assemble a small, focused team 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, they intend to bring on quality‑assurance specialists and contract talent for character art, audio, user‑interface work and a composer.
"We’re keeping the core team small, being ambitious but practical in terms of scope," Shefta noted. "We are also trying to build a studio that is sustainable by being fair to our employees. We've recently seen a lot of layoffs across the industry that don't align with the success of the games those same developers have made – 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." Shefta’s vision is to blend the best practices of AAA development – rigorous quality standards, polished production values and a deep understanding of what makes an IP thrive – with the agility and experimental spirit of a small indie team.
"Working in AAA taught me to be disciplined about quality and how important it is to consider what makes an IP successful," she reflected. "These games often have huge budgets that can lead to wasteful decisions and make recouping costs incredibly challenging – which can be unsustainable. Indie development can be much faster and more efficient, embracing experimentation and then focusing on what feels good.
Running with one or two key ideas allows you to make something special." In a smaller team, every member’s contribution has a tangible impact on the final product, a dynamic that Shefta finds creatively rewarding. "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 said.
Ultimately, the goal of Pretty Cool Games is to put both player enjoyment and employee wellbeing at the forefront of its operations. "There will always be challenges when you launch a new studio, but we’ll 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," Shefta concluded. The studio is also actively seeking additional investment and a publishing partner to bring its inaugural title to market.