Alternate Worlds Podcast

Alternate Worlds Podcast: Lan. D Ho, Legendary Raconteur This episode is both a nostalgic reunion and a thoughtful reflection on how lifelong friendships are formed through shared passions. Brian and Lan revisit the earliest days of competitive Magic: The Gathering , recounting Pro Tours, IRC friendships, legendary deck designs, and the personalities that helped define the game’s formative years....

Alternate Worlds Podcast: Zac Hill, from Games to Good This episode moves far beyond game design into a thoughtful conversation about the future of society, technology, education, AI, politics, trust, media, and creativity. While both Brian and Zac share deep roots in Magic: The Gathering , the game becomes a lens through which they explore much larger questions about how people learn, build commu...

Alternate Worlds Podcast: Tronster Hartley, UX Lead at Firaxis Games In this nostalgic and wide-ranging episode, Brian reconnects with lifelong friend and community builder Tronster Hartley to revisit the formative years that shaped both of their careers. What begins as a conversation about Baltimore's bulletin board systems (BBSs) quickly expands into stories about competitive laser tag, early in...

Alternate Worlds Podcast: Mike Jimenez, Startup CTO In this episode, Brian reconnects with longtime friend and former colleague Mike Jimenez to explore the early days of social gaming, startup culture in Silicon Valley, leadership, entrepreneurship, and the evolution of technology over the last two decades. The conversation is equal parts nostalgia, career reflection, and examination of how creati...

During the day, Jossie Haines is an executive coach who actively helps technical leaders improve their work lives & personal lives. “Some time ago,” Jossie also happens to have worked on some extremely successful & large/complex games in her time — Cafe World, CityVille & ChefVille. I met Jossie on CityVille, after we raided the Cafe World team for some of their best engineers, and it was great to...

Alternate Worlds Podcast: Adam King & the Game Developer Experience from Console to Social Games In this episode, Brian reconnects with longtime friend, engineer, and game industry veteran Adam King for a conversation that begins with a surprisingly detailed discussion of curling injuries and evolves into a fascinating exploration of game development, engineering culture, product design, live-serv...

Alternate Worlds Podcast: James Laird & the Games Industry Career Path In this thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation, Brian sits down with longtime game developer, product leader, technologist, storyteller, and LARP organizer James Laird to explore a career that has repeatedly crossed the boundaries between games, technology, theater, education, and community-building. What begins as a discussi...

Alternate Worlds Podcast: Jeremy Jarvis, former Franchise Leader for Magic: the Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons In this episode, Brian reconnects with longtime collaborator and former Wizards of the Coast creative leader Jeremy Jarvis for a wide-ranging conversation about creativity, worldbuilding, leadership, Magic's most beloved settings, and the challenges of stewarding intellectual property....

Henry Stern is a storied game designer who has delivered in many mediums — TCG, board gaming, web2 gaming & mobile gaming. Early on, he left a career -- that he enjoyed -- as a rocket scientist, to go after his passion instead and never looked back. Gaming is that passion. I was lucky enough to work with Henry on Magic: the Gathering, which he helped steward on the game development side for over a...

Alternate Worlds Podcast: Jake Theis, former Magic: the Gathering Brand Manager In this episode, Brian reconnects with former Wizards of the Coast colleague Jake Theis for a conversation that blends game industry history, product development, entrepreneurship, creativity, and the enduring influence of Magic: The Gathering. What starts with jokes about cheese, personality types, and old Wizards mem...

Alternate Worlds Podcast: Justin Gary, CEO of Stoneblade Entertainment In this thoughtful and deeply reflective conversation, Brian sits down with longtime friend, former Magic World Champion, entrepreneur, author, and game designer Justin Gary to explore the intersections of games, learning, community, entrepreneurship, and personal fulfillment. What begins as a conversation about podcasting and...

Alternate Worlds Podcast: Arthur Parsons, former Head of Design for the LEGO games franchise In this episode, Brian sits down with Arthur Parsons, one of the key creative leaders behind many of the beloved LEGO video games. Arthur shares an entertaining and surprisingly accidental journey into game development—from dropping out of architecture studies, to testing games at Psygnosis, to spending mo...

Alternate Worlds Podcast: Nina Dobner, Denizen of Game Production & Business Development in Games In this episode, Brian sits down with Nina Dobner for a candid conversation about a remarkable career spanning the early days of multimedia, the birth of online gaming, major entertainment licenses, and the evolution of the games industry. Nina shares stories from her journey from the UK to the Bay Ar...

Alternate Worlds Podcast: Jay Schneider, Professor of Game Design In this deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation, Brian Schneider sits down with his brother, Jay Schneider, to explore the experiences, family influences, and defining moments that shaped their lives. The discussion spans entrepreneurship, resilience, childhood challenges, creativity, leadership, loss, and the pursuit of meani...

Alternate Worlds Podcast: Justin Cinicolo, early GM for Mafia Wars In this wide-ranging conversation, Brian Schneider sits down with veteran game executive and creator Justin Cinicolo to explore a career that spans educational toys, social games, mobile gaming, leadership, entrepreneurship, and creative production. What begins as a discussion of past projects quickly becomes a deeply personal conv...

Alternate Worlds Podcast: Brian Tinsman, former MTG designer In this nostalgic, insightful, and frequently funny conversation, Brian Schneider reconnects with longtime Wizards of the Coast colleague and legendary Magic designer Brian Tinsman. What begins with stories about jiu-jitsu challenges, office politics, and early Wizards culture evolves into a deep discussion about game design philosophy,...

Alternate World Podcast: Cole Medeiros, from Gubs to Stardew Valley In this thoughtful and often hilarious conversation, Brian sits down with game designer, entrepreneur, producer, and storyteller Cole Medeiros to explore a career that spans board games, social games, Kickstarter projects, mobile gaming, and eventually helping steward the remarkable success of Stardew Valley. The discussion center...

Alternate Worlds Podcast: Michael J. Flores, the Scribe of MTG In this wide-ranging and energetic conversation, Brian sits down with longtime Magic writer, strategist, marketer, entrepreneur, and provocateur Michael J. Flores. What begins as a discussion of Flores' early content creation evolves into a deep exploration of competitive Magic, game design philosophy, content creation, marketing, inte...

Alternate Worlds Podcast: William Jockusch, Magic: the Gathering’s First Game Developer In this episode, Brian reconnects with former Wizards of the Coast colleague William Jockusch, one of Magic's earliest developers and a key voice behind the game's formative years. The conversation spans William's journey from mathematics professor to Magic developer, the creation of iconic sets such as Allianc...

Alternate Worlds Podcast: Brian David-Marshall is All About Games for Gamers In this episode, Brian sits down with longtime Magic community builder, storyteller, tournament organizer, writer, and game creator Brian David-Marshall for a conversation that spans more than three decades of gaming history. The discussion explores the origins of Magic's early tournament scene, the creation of Neutral Gr...

Alternate Worlds Podcast: Randy Buehler, former VP of Digital Gaming & Director of Magic R&D In this episode, Brian reconnects with longtime friend, teammate, mentor, and former boss Randy Buehler to explore one of the most influential careers in Magic history. What begins as a conversation about the Alternate Worlds project quickly evolves into a deep discussion about leadership, team building, p...

Mike Turian is the Senior Executive Producer for Magic: the Gathering, which is one of the biggest game franchises in the world. Magic has blossomed under Turian’s wing, and the world is better for it. Mike and I met over 30 years ago, logged time on the same pro Magic: the Gathering team (CMU), and later worked in R&D making the game — and it’s always a joy to catch up with him. He’s a Magic HOFe...

Alternate Worlds Podcast: Matt Place is a TCG Legend In this episode, Brian reconnects with longtime friend, former Magic rival, and Wizards of the Coast colleague Matt Place. What begins as a nostalgic reunion quickly turns into a wide-ranging conversation about the early days of competitive Magic, game design, Wizards R&D, and the enduring challenge of creating great games. The discussion blends...

Alternate Worlds Podcast #9: Mike Elliott & the tabletop gaming hall of fame. In this episode, Brian sits down with legendary game designer Mike Elliott for a deep dive into the early history of Magic: The Gathering, trading card game design, and the hidden mechanics behind some of the industry's most influential games. The conversation traces Mike's path from competitive bridge player and Magic e...

Alternate Worlds Podcast #8: Josh Kermond, EP & GM in the gaming industry In this episode, Brian reconnects with longtime game industry colleague Josh Kermond for a candid conversation spanning game development, parenting, community building, creativity, AI, Magic: The Gathering, and the changing realities of the games business. What begins as a lighthearted discussion about raising children and c...