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 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’s résumé includes a stint as CEO and studio head of No Brakes Games Tenerife, where she oversaw the development of Human: Fall Flat. She recently earned a seat on the board of the UK Interactive Entertainment Association (TIGA) and also contributes to the BAFTA Games Committee, giving her a strong voice in industry policy and advocacy.
Dudley, on the other hand, was part of the original Human: Fall Flat team and has a résumé that spans Sony Interactive Entertainment, Lionhead Studios, Rare, and Marmalade Game Studio, providing a blend of indie ingenuity and AAA production experience. To get the new, fully remote UK operation off the ground, Pretty Cool Games secured an undisclosed investment from Chinese developer Hypergryph, best known for the tactical RPG Arknights: Endfield.
Shefta explained to GamesIndustry.biz that raising capital is currently challenging, but the appetite for fresh, inventive games remains strong. "From our very first conversation with Hypergryph, we clicked. They loved the 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 said. The bulk of the funding is earmarked for the studio’s debut title, a project that draws creative inspiration from several distinct sources. Nintendo’s emphasis on intuitive, player‑centric design, Hazelight’s narrative‑driven co‑op experiences (most notably Split‑Reality), the immersive storytelling techniques found in Disney theme parks, and the physical comedy of classic cinema such as The Pink Panther all inform the game’s aesthetic and mechanics. Shefta summed up the ambition: "We want to craft something memorable and timeless, a game that brings a smile years after the first play session." Creative freedom is positioned as a core pillar of the studio’s philosophy, not just for the developers but for the players as well.
The upcoming title will leverage a physics‑based engine that gives players a sandbox of movement and interaction, combined with carefully designed levels and systems that encourage unexpected, humorous outcomes. "We aim to let players express themselves through play, to experiment, to cause chaos, and to discover delight in the most unlikely scenarios," Shefta elaborated. The investment also enables Pretty Cool Games to assemble a small, focused team that can be sustained over the long term.
Currently, 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. Additional contract roles are slated for character art, audio, UI design, and a composer. Shefta emphasized that keeping the core team lean allows the studio to remain ambitious while staying realistic about scope and resources.
A key differentiator for Pretty Cool Games is its commitment to employee equity and shared success. In an industry where mass layoffs have become commonplace despite strong game performance, the founders want to reward their team through share schemes and profit‑sharing mechanisms. "If our games succeed, everyone benefits together," Shefta noted, positioning the model as a counterpoint to the volatile employment practices seen at larger publishers.
Shefta also described the studio’s strategic positioning as a hybrid between AAA polish and indie agility. "We take the best practices from big‑budget development – disciplined quality control, careful IP stewardship – and combine them with the speed, experimentation, and decision‑making freedom of a smaller team," she said.
Her experience in AAA taught her the pitfalls of massive budgets that can lead to wasteful spending and difficult recoupment, whereas indie development often thrives on rapid iteration and focusing on a few strong ideas. The founders believe that a smaller team amplifies each individual’s influence on the final product, making the creative process more meaningful. This, they argue, results in a game that feels personal and resonant, both for the creators and the audience.
Ultimately, Shefta’s vision for Pretty Cool Games is a studio that puts player enjoyment and employee wellbeing at the forefront, building games the right way and fostering a culture of mutual respect and shared reward. While acknowledging that launching a new studio always presents hurdles, Shefta is confident that the collective experience she and Dudley have amassed over the years will guide them through.
"We’ll rely on our deep industry knowledge, stay true to our values, and keep building games that are fun, fair, and sustainable," she concluded. The studio is actively seeking additional investment and a publishing partner to bring its first title to market, aiming to deliver an experience that blends humor, creativity, and heartfelt design for players around the globe.