adminPretty Cool Games is a new UK-based game studio founded by two developers who helped create Human: Fall Flat. With undisclosed funding from Hypergryph, the fully remote team is developing a debut game built around physical comedy, creative play and unexpected physics-driven situations. The founders say they want to pair ambitious game design with a small, sustainable team and a workplace that shares in its success.
Pretty Cool Games is founded by Human: Fall Flat veterans
Sitara Shefta, the studio’s CEO, co-founded Pretty Cool Games with Will Dudley, its chief creative officer. Shefta previously served as CEO and studio head at No Brakes Games Tenerife and directed development of Human: Fall Flat. She has also been elected to the TIGA Board of Directors and serves on the BAFTA Games Committee.
Dudley was part of the original Human: Fall Flat team. His previous roles include work at Sony Interactive Entertainment, Lionhead Studios, Rare and Marmalade Game Studio. Their experience spans both large and small development environments, which the founders hope to bring together in the new company.
Image credit: Pretty Cool Games
Hypergryph funding supports the debut game
Pretty Cool Games secured undisclosed investment from Chinese developer Hypergryph to establish the studio and develop its first title. Hypergryph is known for the RPG Arknights: Endfield. Shefta says the partners connected over the game concept and the studio’s long-term plans, as well as their shared enthusiasm for game development.
Shefta notes that raising investment can be difficult, but believes that does not mean players have lost interest in new games. For a new studio, funding can help cover development and hiring while the team works towards a playable release. The amount and terms of Pretty Cool Games’ investment have not been disclosed.
“There is a lot of difficulty in raising investment at the moment, but that doesn’t mean the demand for fresh new games has reduced.”
A physics-based game focused on creative play
The studio’s first game takes inspiration from Nintendo, Hazelight, immersive experiences at Disney theme parks and the physical comedy of films such as The Pink Panther. Shefta says the aim is to make a memorable experience that players will still recall fondly years after playing it.
The developers plan to use physics and level design to give players room to experiment and express themselves. In practical terms, that approach means the game is intended to support a range of surprising outcomes rather than relying only on one fixed way to approach each situation. The studio has not announced a title, release date or platform details.
Sitara Shefta and Will Dudley were instrumental in the development of Human: Fall Flat | Image credit: No Brakes Games
A small team with plans to grow
Pretty Cool Games currently has four full-time employees and plans to expand to ten. The studio has four near-term roles planned in lead design, level design, environment art and concept art. It also expects to use contract roles for character art, audio, user interface work and composition, and plans to bring in quality assurance support.
The team is seeking additional investment and a publishing partner for its debut project. Keeping the core group focused is intended to help the studio manage scope, test ideas and make decisions efficiently. For readers following the project, the lack of a public release schedule means that hiring and future announcements will be the clearest signs of its progress.
A sustainable approach to game development
Shefta wants to combine the quality standards associated with AAA development with the flexibility of a smaller independent team. She says experience in larger studios taught her the importance of discipline and understanding what makes a game successful, while smaller teams can experiment and refine ideas with less complexity.
The founders also want the company to reward employees when its games succeed, including through share schemes. Their stated goal is to put both player experience and employee wellbeing first. As Pretty Cool Games develops its debut, its funding, hiring plans and commitment to a focused team will shape how that vision takes form.
What to know about Pretty Cool Games
- Founders: Sitara Shefta and Will Dudley, both veterans of Human: Fall Flat.
- Location and structure: A fully remote, UK-based studio.
- Funding: Undisclosed investment from Hypergryph.
- Debut game: A physics-focused project inspired by comedy, creative play and immersive experiences.
- Team plans: Four full-time staff currently, with a planned expansion to ten.
For players interested in inventive physics games, Pretty Cool Games is a studio to watch as it shares more details about its first project. Its founders bring experience from Human: Fall Flat and other established studios, while the team’s next steps include hiring, securing a publishing partner and developing the game’s core ideas.
