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 vision is to build a studio that treats its staff fairly, offers sustainable employment, and shares the financial rewards of success with the team. Shefta brings extensive leadership experience to the venture.
She previously ran 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 has been elected to the TIGA Board of Directors and participates on the BAFTA Games Committee, giving her a broad perspective on the UK games ecosystem. Dudley, a longtime collaborator on Human: Fall Flat, adds a wealth of production and design expertise.
His résumé includes stints at Sony Interactive Entertainment, Lionhead Studios, Rare, and Marmalade Game Studio, where he contributed to a range of projects across different genres and platforms. To get the new, fully remote studio off the ground, Pretty Cool Games secured undisclosed investment from the Chinese developer Hypergryph, best known for the popular RPG Arknights: Endfield. Shefta explained to GamesIndustry.biz that, despite a challenging fundraising environment, the appetite for fresh, innovative games remains strong.
She noted that the initial conversations with Hypergryph “went exceptionally well”—the investor loved the concept for the studio’s debut title, aligned with its long‑term vision, and welcomed the team’s whimsical ideas. Shefta highlighted that Hypergryph’s own experience as a game‑making studio made them an especially appealing partner, as they understand the creative process and are eager to support other developers.
The bulk of the funding is earmarked for the studio’s first game, which draws inspiration from several distinct sources. Nintendo’s legacy of playful, accessible design, Hazelight’s expertise in cooperative storytelling (as seen in Split Reality), the immersive, narrative‑driven attractions of Disney theme parks, and the visual gags of classic slap‑stick cinema—particularly The Pink Panther—are all cited as creative touchstones. Shefta says the goal is to craft an experience that remains memorable and delightful years after players first encounter it. Creativity, she emphasizes, is a core pillar of the studio’s philosophy—not only for the developers but also for the players.
By leveraging the open‑ended physics that define a physics‑based game, combined with carefully crafted systems and level design, the team aims to give players the freedom to experiment, create absurd scenarios, and express themselves through playful interaction. The investment also enables Pretty Cool Games to assemble a small, focused team that can be sustained over the long term.
Currently, four full‑time staff members are on board, and the studio plans to grow to ten. Immediate hires include a lead designer, a level designer, an environment artist, and a concept artist.
Future recruitment will add quality‑assurance specialists and contract roles for character art, audio, user‑interface work, and a composer. Shefta stresses that keeping the core team lean allows the studio to be ambitious yet realistic about scope, while also ensuring that each employee’s contribution is valued and rewarded.
In light of recent industry layoffs that have left many developers without jobs despite the commercial success of their games, Shefta is determined to create a model that distributes success more equitably. She mentions the possibility of share schemes or other profit‑sharing mechanisms so that when a game performs well, every team member benefits. This approach reflects the studio’s commitment to fairness and long‑term stability. Shefta describes the studio’s ambition as “taking the best of AAA and combining it with a smaller, focused team that can experiment, iterate fast, and make decisions quickly.” Her experience on large‑budget projects taught her the importance of disciplined quality control and the pitfalls of wasteful spending.
While AAA titles often involve massive budgets that can make recouping costs difficult, indie development allows for rapid iteration, focused experimentation, and the ability to double‑down on a few strong ideas. This hybrid approach, she believes, can produce something special without the financial strain of a blockbuster. Working in a smaller team also means each individual has a larger impact on the final product, which is deeply satisfying for creative professionals. Shefta’s ultimate aim is to build a studio that puts the player experience and employee wellbeing at the forefront.
She acknowledges that launching a new studio inevitably brings challenges, but she is confident that the collective experience and knowledge she and Dudley have amassed over the years will guide them. Their commitment is to develop games “the right way,” balancing ambition with sustainability, and ensuring that success is shared across the entire team.