ON Fridays, Carlo Endaya, the marketing head of a consumer goods company, closes his laptop for the last time before the weekend. He packs his bags and prepares for a night out and some Friday night magic. For some, that may mean going out with friends, but for Carlo and other like-minded individuals, it means going to their local game store and shuffling up their deck of "Magic: The Gathering."

"Magic: The Gathering" is a collectible card game created by Dr. Richard Garfield and released in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. The game was meant to be something you could easily bring around to play with a few friends. Players would construct their own decks and duke them out across kitchen tables for hours of fun.

In a game of Magic, players imagine themselves as "planeswalkers" — beings who could travel across the multiverse. They cast spells and summon creatures to battle with their opponents. Similar to other fantasy games before it, Magic allows the player to dive into a world where imagination is the only limit. It is a great way for someone to get their mind into another space and focus on things outside of work.

The game was designed to allow a wide variety of play styles to show the personality of the people behind the cards. "I love to create new decks to express my personality through strategy," Carlo shared. "I enjoy the variety of gameplay, as no two games are ever alike." The novelty of each game makes the experience of Magic always fresh and exciting. You may face one style in your first match, but the moment you stand up to play with someone else, you would face a completely different style and strategy.

The full title of the game is "Magic: The Gathering" — intended to be a way for people to get together and have fun. It was created during a time when video games were booming, and more kids stayed at home in front of their televisions. Magic is meant to get people to mingle, interact and create friendships. It gives players a common interest in conversation and competition. Even former players who haven't picked up a deck in years could still remember the epic battles they had in the past and have a long discussion on how fun it was back in the day.

Carlo, like a lot of people, learned the game in his teens by playing it with his friends. They all learned the game together and spent hours having a lot of fun. When life came knocking on the door though, Magic took a backseat to work and other responsibilities. In offices across the country, there are people who play or have played the game in the past. While life may have caused them to take a break from the game, Magic has never lost its luster.

During the pandemic, players who stopped playing began to pick it up again. Old cardboard boxes were dusted off after a decade of sitting in the closet. Siblings who played the game together growing up started sitting across the table from each other to start slinging spells one more time.

The time spent in quarantine also became a way for Carlo, dad to 8-year-old Mateo, to bond with his son. Since he had more time at home, he taught his son the basics of what he calls "one of the most complex and interesting games in the world." Now, the Endayas are able to enjoy countless games of Magic while creating memories that would last them a lifetime.

As the Philippines slowly started to reopen and people were going back outside, Carlo, along with other executives and business owners, started playing Magic again at local game stores. The same people addressed like knights at work are now summoning knights to the battlefield. Even the most distinguished individuals at the office still enjoy some time off to play a card game with friends. With so many ways to play the game, the experience of Friday night Magic is like no other. Games for two players and games for three or more are now more organized to maximize fun and interaction. This allows players, both new and old, to find a form of Magic that they could enjoy.

This September, the franchise released its latest set, "Dominaria United." The new deck brings back familiar faces while also pushing the story in a new direction. Without getting into detail, the set represents a lot of what older players enjoy about the game. There are a variety of strategies to choose from, unique characters and gameplay designs to represent different personalities, and it stays true to the familiar way of how the game has always played. Returning players would be surprised to see how so many mechanics from the sets they played in the past are still present today, and they may be delighted at how some of the newer mechanics make playing the game even more interesting.

Now that we are starting to go back to the office and meetings have moved from Zoom to rooms, it's about time we rekindle connections that were lost. When we gather to play a card game and have genuine human interaction, we're developing relationships that are not possible through the internet. Whether your goal is to relax after work, scratch your competitive itch, or bond with your child — what else could I say? The Magic is back.