What Inspired ANOMIE?
ANOMIE is a storytelling game that was conceived in fall of 2021 during Justin’s final semester at Pitzer College. Justin worked with a score of student collaborators to create the first version of ANOMIE as a tool for undergraduate and high school level students to explore introductory-level concepts in sociology. Since graduating from Pitzer College, Justin and Ryan have worked together to enhance ANOMIE, refining its principles and gameplay mechanics.
During the early stages of development, Justin and Ryan drew inspiration from many of their favorite tabletop roleplaying games to design ANOMIE’s path forward. They were particularly drawn to the collaborative nature and boundless explorative possibilities of these games, which value freedom, creativity, and a deep emphasis on the why and how of a story’s progression. This influence shaped ANOMIE into a game where players can express their creativity and collaboratively build rich, immersive narratives.
Over the last two years, ANOMIE has been extensively play-tested both online and in-person to achieve this vision. Each play-test has provided valuable insights, helping rework mechanics of gameplay, enhance the language of the game, and expand content to provide players with the best tools to help tell their stories.
Justin and Ryan collaborated as far back as the first version of ANOMIE, which originally included a competitive bidding system!
MEET THE TEAM
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Justin Sleppy
CO-FOUNDER + LEAD WRITER
Justin graduated from Pitzer College in winter of 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and International & Intercultural Studies. After graduating, Justin worked as an English teaching assistant in Botswana on a US Fulbright grant. Justin is currently preparing for a Master’s program in International Education.
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Ryan Fann
CO-FOUNDER + HEAD OF PRODUCT
Ryan is an entrepreneur and digital nomad from Arcadia, California. He graduated from Pitzer College in the spring of 2022, with a degree in Cognitive Science and Economics. Since then, he has been working at a B2B tech start-up, developing skills in marketing, user experience design, and project management.
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Alan Xu
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
From branding and identity to motion graphics, Alan creates fascinating results by reducing color and form to the bare bones. Alan is currently studying graphic design at ArtCenter College of Design in Los Angeles.
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Cris Jin
CONCEPT ARTIST
Cris is a digital artist from Arcadia, California who is completing his art degree from the Pasadena ArtCenter College of Design. Cris specializes in environmental concept art and design.
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Lucas Cunningham
FILM MAKER
Lucas is a filmmaker from Bellingham, Washington. Lucas graduated from Pomona College in spring of 2023 with a degree in Environmental Analysis and Media Studies at Pomona College.
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Sage McBee
UX SPECIALIST
Sage is an aficionado for games in all forms. Sage graduated from Pitzer College in the spring of 2022 with a bachelor's degree in Anthropology and Sociology, and a minor in Media Studies. Since then, Sage has worked as a UX/UI quality analyst for the healthcare application MyChart, and is currently working to transition fully into board game design and development.
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Clarisa Wolff Urzua
MARKETING INTERN
Clarisa is studying Media Studies and Economics at Pitzer College. She is set to graduate in spring of 2025. Clarisa is from Alameda, California. Clarisa is interested in film history, directing, and production.
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Ella Schweizer
MARKETING INTERN
Ella is an Economics and English student entering her third year at Pitzer College. Ella works as a marketing intern for ANOMIE, and her interests include reading, writing, and baking.
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Matthew Gainsboro
MARKETING INTERN
Matthew is a senior at Pitzer College studying Cognitive Science. Matthew is set to graduate this year. Matthew is from Concord, Massachusetts. Among his many interests, he particularly enjoys listening to music and playing board games.
Contact Us
Want to collaborate? Have questions about ANOMIE? Interested in playing the ANOMIE Demo? Reach out to us here or at hello@anomierpg.com and we’ll be in touch!