Soma SoulWorks Podcast

Hello! The Soma Soulworks Podcast is going on summer break - many big things are happening behind the scenes here, from our annual conference to our upcoming game title. As such, we need some time to herd the cats and organize our thoughts. In this episode, we share a bit about why the break and what's on our minds as we head into the summer, and we look forward to catching you all on the next one in the Fall.

We try to do in-office interviews on our podcast roughly every month at Soma. We think it's important to look at our past and notice how God has provided and led us through the years, which is no different than with Joshua Durkees Soma story. Join us in hearing a little about his past and what he's been able to learn along the way. Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

For the past several weeks, our office has been going through how our past wounds affect us during our in-office small group we call Jesus Time. Join us in today's conversation about some of the things we've walked through and how we've been processing these lessons. Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

This week on the Soma Soulworks podcast, we're talking about hobbies. From wood burning to LARPing, tai chi to bottle cap collecting. The possibilities for hobbies are endless. Listen in this week to hear what we've been up to; we'd love to hear about what you're doing in your free time, let us know in the comments!Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

Join us this week for a conversation about travel. Where have we been, and what have we learned? Travel can help us grow in understanding others and ourselves; so buckle up, tune in, and let us know in the comments some of the cool places you've been!Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

Join us in today's conversation about games specifically for marketing. We share our experiences in making games and experiences for companies for the express use of marketing their brand. What was it like for us? We share some tips and tricks to help you, and your studio, get ahead when you take on your first marketing game!Some of our work:Stranger ThingsThreat Hunterextrahop.comSome resources to help you get started:What is advergaming: 5 examples in marketing campaigns Advergaming: How video game advertising helps with consumer engagementChipotle Scarecrow is the future of advergaming on mobileFind more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

Today we have the pleasure of hearing from our very own Neil Sauvageau. Hear his testimony and experience with us at Soma, and be sure to check out the cool projects he's working on while you're at it!Echo DawnNeil on LinkedInFind more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

We have a few workplace romances in our office. Some started before they came to Soma and some started while they were here. Hear some of our firsthand experiences and hear some ways to make the, sometimes inevitable, romance better for the office culture and you!Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

Today is the beginning of the season of Lent. What is Lent? Should you participate in it? Does anyone participate in it anymore? The answer to 1.5 of those questions is "yes!" find out what one (and a half) it is on todays episode of the Soma SoulWorks PodcastFind more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

Today on the Soma SoulWorks Podcast, we talk about what it's like to play video games for the first time. What hurdles do people face if they want to get into gaming? What technologies and techniques are out there to help ease people into the hobby? What does this mean for developers when we create games? Gaming for a Non-GamerFind more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

Join us this week for a special interview with Chris Bruno. Chris is the author of his newest book Sage: A Man's Guide Into His Second Passage, fatherhood, and mental health. Here to talk about it today, we also want to do a giveaway for Sage, so sign up here between the 8th of February and the 17th for a chance to win your copy!Sage - by Chris BrunoReStoryReStory IntensivesFacebook:Restoration ProjectReStory CounselingInstagram:@restorationprojectco@storyrestoredFind more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

Do you work from home? Are you an employer for people who do? Are you thinking about switching to a work-from-home model? Today on the Soma SoulWorks Podcast, we talk about our experiences with a hybrid office model, give some pointers to offices looking to transition,  and provide helpful advice on how to work from home healthily. Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

This week on the Soma SoulWorks Podcast, we discuss our dreams and how we can interpret them. What is a prophetic dream? Is it biblical? How do I even start interpreting my dreams? Listen to our conversation about our experiences and a few solid tips to get started.  Streams MinistriesFind more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

Thanks for joining us this week on the Soma SoulWorks Podcast. This week we are having an important discussion on addiction and its overlap with video games. How do video games become addictive? How can you overcome that addiction if you find yourself in it? What resources are available for you or people you know who want to learn more? Make sure to sign up for our newsletter and get automatically entered to win a copy of The Life We're Looking For by Andy Crouch. You can sign up here!Brock Henderson on LinkedInHow to tell when you're gaming too much, according to a therapistFind more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

Once a month, we highlight someone in an interview. This week, we have the privilege of interviewing our very own Ethan Whitted! Ethan shares his story of how he came to Soma and some of the lessons he's learned along the way.  Find out more and connect with him on LinkedIn, linked below.Ethan on LinkedInFind more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

Prophetic art, art that carries a message from the heart of God to strengthen, encourage, or comfort. Today on the SomaSoulworks Podcast, join us in a conversation about this form of prophecy with our very own Erin Marantette. You can find some great examples of prophetic art in the link below, and we would love to see some from you if you gave it a shot!Examples of Erin's prophetic art:One of her first works of prophetic artsMarch 2020, before the whole scope of the pandemic set in Transformation and supportSoaking in His presenceOne of her recent worksOf the piece mentioned in the podcast:- when she first ended- where she finished it- total timelapseFind more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

The Soma Soulworks Podcast is looking forward to a new year in today's episode. Join us in our conversation about thankfulness and resolutions. Let us know in the comments below some of your resolutions as we head into 2023! Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

Today, on the Soma Soulworks Podcast, we discuss game design.  Looking at our own projects and classics, such as Goldeneye 007, we talk about the challenges game designers have faced in the past and present when making innovative and engaging games. Anti-Game Design and the Making of Goldeneye 007The Lost Legends of RedwallFind more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

Each month we will have people from Soma give their stories. This week we have Mark Webster.neveralone.gamesMark Webster on LinkedInFind more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

This week on the Soma Soulworks Podcast, we discuss our office spaces! The physical (and digital) area we work in can significantly change our productivity, office health, and happiness! Join us as we share some personal stories of our office transformations along with tips and tricks we've learned along the way.Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

Merry Christmas from all of us at Soma Games! We hope you enjoy a chill episode while discussing our traditions and plans for the holiday season. We'd love to hear from you, so share with us in the comments your favorite traditions your family celebrates around the holidays.Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

Sammi says it best in the intro: "Today we want to talk about Thanksgiving and Black Friday and how it's kind of weird that they share the same week." Join us today while we discuss the implications, both personal and corporate, of two very different days.Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

Each month we will have people from Soma give their stories. This week we have Amy Green. Buckle up for a great conversation between her and Chris, and make sure to check out the links below to keep up to date with Amy in the future!  Running LegendsArea Man Lives on Oculus and SteamFollow Amy Green on:FacebookTwitterTikTokInstagramFollow Numinous Games on:TwitterTikTokFind more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

Is a robot after your job? Join us in today's conversation about AI Art to find out. We'll discuss the practical and philosophical implications of AI-generated art and share our thoughts on a topic that hits close to home.How the designers of GoldenEye 007 made use of “Anti-Game Design”Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

Reboots, remasters, and refreshes. Today's entertainment climate is beginning to feel a bit stale in terms of originality. Listen in on today's conversation for our thoughts about the subject. How can we provoke creative, original thinking in our field? How can we support original IPs? Is this even a bad thing? Game Design Mimetics (Or, What Happened To Game Design?)Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

Today we are starting a new series of interviews. Each month we will have people from Soma give their stories. They say hindsight is 20/20, and looking back at our own stories together can help us understand the journey God has been weaving together for us. Join Sammi and me this week for the first one of these conversations.  Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

Gamification is for more than just games! This week on the podcast, we discuss the growing popularity of game design for more than games. Whether you use apps like Wrinkly daily or have been neglecting your Spanish lessons on Duolingo, join us this week as we discuss this uprising of gamification design!Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

Today we have our very own Ethan Whitted, who handles our quality assurance here at Soma, to discuss reviews with us. Reviews are a double-edged sword; we all love receiving those great, in-depth, 5-star reviews and dread the single-word, 1-star reviews. Join us in today's conversation to hear about how we handle reviews and if you have the time: drop us one for this episode of the Soma Soulworks Podcast!Want to read more about the Soma Games Testing Team? Click here to read more and join today! Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

Today we discuss personality assessments and their uses in both the home and the office. We as staff use a few to help us understand one another better, how we work best with each other, and how we give and receive appreciation. Join us in the conversation today to learn a little about us (and hopefully yourself)!Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 5 Love LanguagesSacred PathwaysCVI Test

Join us this week for a special interview with Brock Henderson. Find some of the projects he's working on below.Faith Forms GamesFaith, Family, & The Dark Side of Game Dev

Today on the Soma SoulWorks Podcast, we are taking a step back and focusing on the things that bring us joy. What are we playing? Sit back and enjoy a chill episode where we discuss what we've been into recently and join us in the conversation in the comments by letting us know what you've been playing! We are always looking for new recommendations!Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

This week on the Soma SoulWorks Podcast, we discuss the value of sharing work within our kibbutz. Hear our thoughts on what it means to share the load, how we could tangibly go about this, and the definition of a kibbutz. Is it cat food? Find out today only on the Soma SoulWorks Podcast.Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

In today's conversation, we discuss the mission field of games. What role do games, specifically video games, play in God's mission for the world? Are we succeeding in that role? What could we be doing better? Join us today and join the conversation with the people around you with our small group studies.Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

Today we continue our two-part episode on Acorn Labs. In this episode, we talk about the future of Acorn Labs and compare this project to similar ones in other industries. If you haven't listened to part one of this two-part episode, please find it in your podcast directory to follow along with today's conversation.Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

Today we start a two-part episode on a project we've been working on for a long time now: Acorn Labs. In this first episode, we lay the groundwork for what Acorn Labs is, and hear some of the detailed work needed to make such a project successful. Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

Join us today and hear about a new project we're working on at Soma and why we're so excited about it!Ren Alex Rose on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/mwlite/in/ren-alex-rose-a1b2aa132Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

" 'You raise dragonslayers in the age of dragons; you don't wait for the dragons to go away.' - Someone on the internet" - Sammi.Insert link hereFind more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

Do play and fun have a role to play in our lives? At Soma, we think so. What role does it play in your life? Do you use play and fun only as a tool to relax and unwind once you feel overwhelmed and stressed, or do you schedule a time to recharge throughout the week? Join us in today's conversation to hear more of our thoughts and how we approach the role of play and fun in our lives.Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

Every Wednesday morning in our office at Soma, we have Jesus Time. A moment for us all to stop and refocus our lives on Jesus. Our studies range from healing prayer to financial management, but one thing is always clear:  the center of our conversation is our faith in Jesus to have precedence over our life. Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

From John Eldredge, Author of Wild at Heart and Captivating the Pause App is a simple way to connect with God in the middle of your busy day.  Today we discuss the effect this simple practice has had on our personal lives and in the context of using it in our office. Join us in conversation and find the Pause App online at: https://www.pauseapp.comFind more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

Continuing our series on Modern Monasticism we take the first steps today in living a "well-ordered life." these first steps are the realization that this process starts at home, in our family, our work, and our church lives. So sit back, press play, and join us for today's conversation.Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

Today, we start the third season of the Soma SoulWorks Podcast. Modern Monasticism is all about how we find a well-ordered inner life in a world that demands our attention and grips our time and energy. How do we live in the present moment while being expected to be everywhere,  on-demand? In today's episode, we start a conversation on how we can "slow down, do less, love more."Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free. 

So You Want To Be A Game Developer? This isn't the start of a new game show; In today's episode, we talk about some of the first steps you can and should take on your journey in a career in Game Development. How do you network, what education should you pursue, and what can some of your expectations be in getting started? Join us today and be a part of the conversation!As 2020 was closing out, God asked me a weird question, "What if you were the king of the games industry? What would you do? What would you even want?" Since then, I've asked many people to frame our thoughts way beyond a 5-year plan to a 100-year horizon.This series will wrestle with this question and apply it to video games and entertainment.

What is a currency in its most basic form? What do we use in this industry to trade with one another? Join us this week at Soma SoulWorks as we discuss what currency looks like in the Sphere of Arts and Entertainment.As 2020 was closing out, God asked me a weird question, "What if you were the king of the games industry? What would you do? What would you even want?" Since then, I've asked many people to frame our thoughts way beyond a 5-year plan to a 100-year horizon.This series will wrestle with this question and apply it to video games and entertainment.

The Arts and Entertainment industry is not without its risks and its idols. What are these risks and idols? What can we do to protect ourselves from them? Join us today as we tackle this conversation together.As 2020 was closing out, God asked me a weird question, "What if you were the king of the games industry? What would you do? What would you even want?" Since then, I've asked many people to frame our thoughts way beyond a 5-year plan to a 100-year horizon.This series will wrestle with this question and apply it to video games and entertainment.

"... on the seventh day, He rested from all his work." (Gen. 2:2b) If even God rested from His work to set an example of rest, why is it so difficult for us to stop and enjoy from time to time? This week at Soma Soulworks, we delve into rest: what is it, why it is essential, and even how we do it.As 2020 was closing out, God asked me a weird question, "What if you were the king of the games industry? What would you do? What would you even want?" Since then, I've asked many people to frame our thoughts way beyond a 5-year plan to a 100-year horizon.This series will wrestle with this question and apply it to video games and entertainment.

Suffering. Everyone goes through seasons of their life that make us question everything. Why is this happening to me? How did I get here? What do I do now? Join us this week as we tackle the challenging but shared experience of suffering in candid conversation.As 2020 was closing out, God asked me a weird question, "What if you were the king of the games industry? What would you do? What would you even want?" Since then, I've asked many people to frame our thoughts way beyond a 5-year plan to a 100-year horizon.This series will wrestle with this question and apply it to video games and entertainment.

Morgan Snyder, the author of Becoming a King, has been a long-time friend and ally of Soma Games. in this episode we discuss how our recent theme of "What if I were King?" was directly influenced by his work and how it's the kind of question everybody ought to wrestle with as we each learn to lean into maturity and growth regardless of our vocation.

In this episode, we dive into soul care. What does it mean to care for a soul? Who is responsible for doing that sort of care? Learn more with us today in today's episode.As 2020 was closing out, God asked me a weird question, "What if you were the king of the games industry? What would you do? What would you even want?" Since then, I've asked many people to frame our thoughts way beyond a 5-year plan to a 100-year horizon.This series will wrestle with this question and apply it to video games and entertainment.

In this episode, we discuss mission statements and corporate culture. How do they relate to one another? Should they be more connected than they are currently? Join us as we discuss this and more in today's episode. As 2020 was closing out, God asked me a weird question, "What if you were the king of the games industry? What would you do? What would you even want?" Since then, I've asked many people to frame our thoughts way beyond a 5-year plan to a 100-year horizon.This series will wrestle with this question and apply it to video games and entertainment.

Today we talk about the Game Dev. Fund - a non-profit donation destination used as grants to start, finish, boost, and train our friends and fellows in the games industry.As 2020 was closing out, God asked me a weird question, "What if you were the king of the games industry? What would you do? What would you even want?" Since then, I've asked many people to frame our thoughts way beyond a 5-year plan to a 100-year horizon.This series will wrestle with this question and apply it to video games and entertainment.