After years of being the runt of the litter (despite having no siblings), Spike finally comes into his own and starts to grow up and mature. The result is a unique bit of magic all his own, or so the theory goes: He awakens one morning to find words hanging overhead that call him [The Gamer], along with powers that let him 'live life as though it were a game'.

How he decides to handle all of this, and where things go from there? That would be a spoiler, and you all know how we feel about spoilers around here...

Frequently asked questions will be answered from time to time, and those answers linked here for the curious:
The First FAQ

It's been twenty-one years since Twilight Sparkle and her friends visited the alternate world of Equestria-V, wherein their lives and the fate of the entire multiverse hung in the balance. Though things have changed at home since their return—including accepting their clones from that alternate world into their own—things have generally settled down, for the most part, and that adventure is now long behind them.

Except for Rarity, who left a piece of herself in that other world and still longs to go back, no matter how impossible that might seem. However, a spell gone awry gives her—as well as Apple Bloom and Flurry Heart—the opportunity to make things right, and to see the ramifications of things that have happened since Rarity was last in that other world.

Edited/co-authored by Devnator, who also served as a creative consultant. Cover art by Starlight Spark, as usual.

This story is no longer considered canon to the original CRISIS: Equestria timeline.

A mysterious portal appears in the Everfree Forest one afternoon, and Twilight Sparkle and her friends are sent to investigate. The portal transports them to another Equestria, one full of darkness and strife, where they struggle to survive while trying to make their way home, making new friends along the way and combating dangers as they go, all while under the watchful eye of a manipulative overlord who wants to use them for some nefarious purpose.

Hang on, that all sounds awfully familiar, doesn't it? That's the basic premise of the entire CRISIS-verse, right?

But something is different this time around, something which influences everything in ways you might not expect.

This story takes place as an alternate retelling of CRISIS: Equestria, but you do not need to be familiar with that story to enjoy this one. But for those familiar with the original, you might just get a kick out of the new situations you'll find your favorite characters in.

The events of CRISIS: A Royal Affair are still considered canon within this timeline, except for that story's epilogue. It is not required reading to enjoy this story.

This story takes place during Season Three, after Wonderbolts Academy but before Keep Calm and Flutter On.

Foreword by and edited/co-authored by Devnator. Cover art and character designs by Starlight Spark.

Shares a TVTropes page with the original story.

Uncle lives a very fulfilling life at his antique shop. It's peaceful and quiet for the most part, just how he likes it. Of course, he's a skilled chi wizard, so he knows better than to actually let the universe know that he's content. So he complains.

A lot.

Then one day, a basket containing three infant magical ponies arrives, and his peaceful life goes out the window...to be replaced with, perhaps, something a little more than contentment.

The universe, apparently, is smarter than he gave it credit for, because now he has "Three More Things!" to complain about to hide just how much they mean to him.

------
Part of the PWNY-verse.

First chapters take place approximately 10 years before the events of the first episode of the show.

Edit: Cover Art put together by Shadow Bolt
Edit 2: New Cover Art by Swan Song. Link to his page in image source.
Edit 3: Level Dasher commissioned an image of the CMC with their new Cutie Marks from Katakiuchi4U over on Deviantart. Here's the pic!