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 ambition is to build a studio that operates sustainably, treats its staff fairly, and shares the financial rewards of any hit titles with the team that created them. Shefta brings a wealth of leadership experience, having previously run No Brakes Games Tenerife as CEO and studio head, where she oversaw the development of Human: Fall Flat. In addition to her industry résumé, she was recently appointed to the board of directors at TIGA and holds a seat on the BAFTA Games Committee, underscoring her influence in the UK games community.
Dudley, on the other hand, was one of the original members of the Human: Fall Flat team. His résumé 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‑based studio off the ground, Pretty Cool Games secured undisclosed capital from Hypergryph, the Chinese developer best known for the popular mobile RPG Arknights: Endfield. Shefta explained to GamesIndustry.biz that while securing investment can be challenging in the current climate, the appetite for fresh, innovative games remains strong.
She added that the first conversation with Hypergryph went exceptionally well – the investors loved the concept for the studio’s debut title, aligned with its long‑term vision, and embraced the team’s off‑beat ideas. “They are developers themselves who are now supporting other developers, which made them stand out to us,” Shefta said. “We wanted a partner who was as enthusiastic about our ambitions as we are.” According to Shefta, the bulk of the funding will be directed toward the studio’s inaugural game, a project that draws creative inspiration from several diverse sources.
The team cites Nintendo’s playful design philosophy, Hazelight’s narrative‑driven cooperative 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*. The goal, she emphasizes, is to craft something memorable and timeless – a game that players recall with delight years after their first play‑through.
“We are leaning into creativity as a pillar of our studio, and that applies to our players as well,” Shefta explained. “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‑based game, combined with our systems and level design allowing for all sorts of wild and unexpected scenarios.” The investment also enables Pretty Cool Games to assemble a small, focused team that Shefta hopes will remain viable over the long term. At present the studio employs four full‑time staff members and plans to grow to ten. Immediate 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 talent for character art, audio, user‑interface work, and a composer. Shefta stresses that keeping the core team lean allows the studio to stay ambitious yet realistic about scope. “We are trying to build a studio that is sustainable by being fair to our employees,” she says.
“We have seen many layoffs across the industry that don’t align with the success of the games those developers made – we want to reward our team for success, for instance through share schemes, so if our games are successful we all benefit together.” Her vision for Pretty Cool Games is to “take the best of AAA and combine that with a smaller focused team that can experiment, iterate fast, and make decisions quickly.” She draws on her AAA background to highlight the importance of disciplined quality control, while also noting that massive budgets can lead to wasteful decisions and make recouping costs difficult. By contrast, indie development can be nimble, allowing teams to experiment, double‑down on ideas that feel right, and deliver a distinctive experience. “Being part of a smaller team means that everyone has more influence on shaping the game, and that feels more meaningful to us as creatives,” Dudley adds.
The studio’s philosophy therefore centers on empowering both its players and its staff, fostering an environment where creativity is not just encouraged but structurally supported. Ultimately, Shefta’s ambition is to create a studio that puts the player experience and employee wellbeing at the forefront.
“There will always be challenges when you launch a new studio,” she acknowledges, “but we will 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.” Pretty Cool Games is currently seeking additional investment and a publishing partner for its debut title, aiming to bring its unique blend of physics‑based humor, immersive storytelling, and player‑driven creativity to a global audience. The team’s commitment to a fair, sustainable business model, combined with the backing of an established developer like Hypergryph, positions them as an exciting new player in the UK indie scene.