Alternate Worlds

Before Magic: The Gathering Changed Our Lives Forever…

De: Brian H. Schneider

Narrado por: Brian H. Schneider

Alternate Worlds is a Magic: the Gathering memoir written by Brian Schneider, one of the game’s early R&D leads, about the fun and merit of growing up a gamer. Consider Alternate Worlds a love letter to Magic: the Gathering, to gamers, and to anyone who woke up one day and thought, “I miss my friends.” If I were to summarize why this book exists, I’d say that I got pretty fed up with the cloning culture in the gaming industry and just wanted to make something that felt like the opposite of that. I wanted to create something that felt loved, just to do it, and Alternate Worlds is that creation. The book itself is a “Magic deck” of sixty short, delightful, stories -- all tales about lessons learned along the way.

©2025 Brian H. Schneider (P)2025 Brian H. Schneider

Author Narrator for a Quaint Life Centered on Gaming

I am very thankful to have been gifted a review copy of this book and my honest review is below.

This is a perfect example of the fact that everyone has a story worth telling. This is a memoir about the life of a game lover, rooted in Magic: The Gathering and other games. Following from when the narrator first discovered the game, to deck building in the early days, to working for WotC, to leaving to peruse other artistic endeavors, to eventually only playing the game with his daughters. There were wonderful life moments outside of gaming sprinkled in as well as humanizing aspects for groups generally disliked in the community.

The timeline of this memoir feels a little messy and hard to follow, based on when each section is taking place. There is a repeated chapter (33 and 34) as well, but as I believe this is the author/narrators first time creating an audiobook this is forgivable.

This was a joy to listen to—to slow down and appreciate the little things that matter in life.

A rare glimpse into the world of a Magic: The Gathering wizard.

(This purchase was made from a promotional credit provided from the author. The review is my own.)

I’ve always had an interest in Magic: The Gathering, even buying some card sets in 2018. Unfortunately, my friend set didn’t lend it self to learning how to play until recently. I received my credit the day after my first Commander game and was excited to get a behind the scenes historical look at the game from someone so involved from the early days.

Overall, this was an enjoyable and informative listen that gave me a new appreciation for Magic’s early history. Brian’s narration was engaging, and despite some uneven pacing, his storytelling kept me engaged throughout. Recommended for fans of the game and anyone curious about Magic’s early days.