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American indie developer and voice actress (born 1999)
Emily Pitcher (born August 13, 1999), known online as SonderingEmily, is an American indie game developer, content creator and voice actress. She is known for voice acting the character One in Battle for Dream Island. She founded her game studio Sondering Studios in 2022.[1][2] She started to work on video games; primarly posting devlogs about her upcoming indie horror game lily’s world XD on her YouTube channel.[3][4][5]
Early life and education
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Emily Pitcher was born in Los Angeles on August 13, 1999. Pitcher was a valedictorian in her high school, where she eventually graduated the University of Los Angeles with a Honours degree in 2021 alongside a Bachelor’s degree in English. Pitcher began working at Meta in 2022. In April 2023, she was laid off without a reason given.[1]
Pitcher first started by joining ACM Studios in her collage’s game development club.[6] She learned through Unity and eventually got the idea to start Sondering Studios in 2022.[7][8][9] She released a trailer for her indie game A Taste of the Past in October 2021,[6] and then the game in early 2023, which centered around trauma from Pitcher’s past life.[10][11]
In July 2024, she got the idea of an indie horror game lily’s world XD,[12] which is inspired by Pitcher’s teenage years through insecurity and anxiety. In 2025, she began working on the game while posting devlogs on her YouTube channel.[3][4][13][14]
- ^ a b Martinelli, Tess (March 5, 2025). “I got laid off at Meta despite a glowing performance review. I went from crying in my room to launching my own business — here’s how”. Business Insider. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
- ^ “Emily Pitcher, 24, Founder, Sondering Studio – 2023-11-17 – Games”. Forbes. Retrieved 2025-12-25.
- ^ a b Acovino, Vincent (2025-06-03). “‘Dev Logs’ give a window into the fun and messy world of game development”. NPR. p. 1. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
- ^ a b “5 Lessons to Learn From a Failed Game”. 80.lv. 2025-07-15. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
- ^ “IOG – sonderingemily”. the*gamehers. Retrieved 2026-01-31.
- ^ a b Justin, Ricafort (November 23, 2022). “Interview: A Taste of the Past, Present, and Future of Sondering Studio with Emily Pitcher”. From the Intercom. Archived from the original on December 29, 2024. Retrieved December 27, 2025.
- ^ “Meet Emily Pitcher – CanvasRebel Magazine”. CanvasRebel. December 19, 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-12-28. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
- ^ Nguyen, Austin (January 29, 2021). “Video game creates space to discuss mental health, Asian American experience”. Daily Bruin. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
- ^ a b “Emily Pitcher (SonderingEmily) interview”. K-Snax – Asian-Inspired Protein Bars. Retrieved 2025-12-27.
- ^ Bradley, Sydney. “A 23-year-old game developer grew her Instagram audience to nearly 100,000 followers after being laid off from Meta. Here’s how she makes money, the 1-page media kit she uses, and what she charges brands”. Business Insider. Retrieved 2026-01-31.
- ^ Stump, Juno (2022-11-29). “How choosing ‘Girl’ in early RPGs inspired today’s game designers”. Polygon. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
- ^ “I Got Laid Off at Meta Despite a Glowing Performance Review. I Went From Crying in My Room to Launching My Own Business — Here’s How”. Entrepreneur. 2025-03-05. Archived from the original on 2025-10-05. Retrieved 2026-01-31.
- ^ “The Indie Survival Guide: Learning from Failure and Building in Public”. Game Developer. Archived from the original on 2025-10-07. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
- ^ “Emily Pitcher”. GDC Festival of Gaming. Retrieved 2025-12-25.
