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 ambition is to build a studio that operates sustainably, treats its staff fairly and shares the fruits of any commercial triumph with the people who create the games. Shefta brings a wealth of leadership experience, having previously run 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 appointed to the board of the UK Interactive Entertainment association (TIGA) and participates on the BAFTA Games Committee, underscoring her standing in the British games community.
Dudley, a founding 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. His varied experience across both large publishers and independent outfits informs the studio’s hybrid approach to game creation.
To get the UK‑based, fully remote studio off the ground, Pretty Cool Games secured undisclosed capital from Hypergryph, the Chinese developer best known for the mobile RPG Arknights: Endfield. Shefta explained to GamesIndustry.biz that raising investment is currently challenging, but the appetite for fresh, original games remains strong. She added that the conversation with Hypergryph clicked immediately: the investor loved the concept for the studio’s debut title, endorsed the long‑term vision, and welcomed the team’s off‑beat ideas.
“They are developers themselves who are now supporting other developers, and that resonated with us,” Shefta said. “We wanted a partner who was as enthusiastic about our ambitions as we are.” The bulk of the funding is earmarked for the studio’s first game, which draws creative inspiration from a wide range of sources. Nintendo’s legacy of playful design, Hazelight’s narrative‑driven co‑op experiences (best known for *It Takes Two*), the immersive storytelling found in Disney theme‑park attractions, and the physical comedy of classic films such as *The Pink Panther* all inform the project’s tone and mechanics. Shefta emphasized the desire to craft something that feels timeless and memorable, a game that players will recall with a smile years after their first play‑through.
Creativity sits at the heart of Pretty Cool Games’ philosophy, both for the developers and the players. The upcoming title will leverage the open‑ended possibilities of a physics‑based engine, allowing gamers to experiment, solve puzzles in unconventional ways and generate humorous, emergent moments. “We are building systems and level design that encourage wild, unexpected scenarios,” Shefta explained.
“The goal is to let players express themselves through play, just as we express ourselves through development.” The Hypergryph investment also enables the studio to assemble a small, focused team that Shefta hopes to keep sustainable over the long term. Currently four full‑time staff members are on board, with plans to grow to ten. Immediate hires include a lead designer, a level designer, an environment artist and a concept artist.
Future recruitment will target quality‑assurance specialists and contract roles for character art, audio, user‑interface work and a composer. By keeping the core team lean, the studio can remain ambitious yet realistic about scope, Shefta noted. A key element of the studio’s ethos is fairness to employees. Recent industry layoffs have highlighted the disconnect between a game’s commercial success and the wellbeing of its creators.
Pretty Cool Games intends to address this by offering share schemes and other profit‑sharing mechanisms, ensuring that if a title performs well, the entire team benefits. “We want a model where success is shared, not hoarded,” Shefta said.
Shefta’s vision is to blend the best practices of AAA development—rigorous quality standards, thoughtful IP management—with the agility and experimental spirit of indie studios. Her experience on large‑budget projects taught her that massive spending can lead to wasteful decisions and make recouping costs difficult. In contrast, smaller teams can iterate quickly, focus on a few strong ideas and deliver a polished experience without the financial strain that often hampers big‑scale productions. Working in a compact environment also means that each team member has a larger impact on the final product, a factor that resonates deeply with creative professionals.
“When everyone can shape the game, the work feels more meaningful,” Dudley added. Ultimately, Pretty Cool Games aims to put player enjoyment and employee wellbeing at the forefront of its mission.
The studio acknowledges that launching a new venture will inevitably bring challenges, but Shefta is confident that the collective experience she and Dudley have amassed over the years will guide them. “We remain committed to building games the right way—sustainably, creatively and with respect for the people who make them.”