Human: Fall Flat veterans launch new UK studio Pretty Cool Games with funding from Arknights developer Hypergraph

Sitara Shefta and Will Dudley, veterans of the indie platformer Human: Fall Flat, have established Pretty Cool Games, a new UK-based studio backed by financing from Hypergraph, the developer behind Arknights. The remote operation is currently recruiting staff as it develops its inaugural project, a double-A sandbox game. The founders have explicitly framed the studio around sustainability and fair labor practices, with a stated commitment to rewarding employees based on the game's performance.

The backing from Hypergraph signals confidence in the team's vision, while the studio's emphasis on employee equity and work culture reflects ongoing industry conversations around crunch and retention. Pretty Cool Games' first title will be their test case for proving that commercially viable games can coexist with more humane development practices.