Anand Gandhi’s Maya Universe Gets a Game: Trials of Maya

Anand Gandhi and game designer Zain Memon are taking the ambitious Maya universe from the page to the tabletop with Trials of Maya, an expandable arena card game that combines deck-building, MOBA-style combat and tactical strategy.

The game launches on Gamefound on September 8, arriving just days after the global retail release of Maya: Seed Takes Root, the debut novel from a narrative universe reportedly built over five years by more than 200 collaborators.

The novel has already made crowdfunding history, raising $547,896 from 5,378 early readers, according to the creators.

From a Record-Breaking Novel to a Tabletop Battle

The Maya universe imagines a planetary network of trees that connects the people of Neh to play, stories, and even the living and dead.

Trials of Maya pushes players directly into that mythology, taking them into the roots of the network, where characters battle through seemingly endless visions.

The game is designed around a simple but potentially deep premise: players choose a champion, build a custom deck, and fight across a hex-grid arena.

Each deck contains between 24 and 40 cards drawn from the chosen champion’s traits, creating different strategic possibilities from game to game.

A Board Game Built Like a MOBA

The base game includes four asymmetrical champions and two flagship Siege modes: 2v2 tactical team battles and 1v1 duels.

But the creators are betting that the system can become much bigger.

Additional modes include Headhunters, a 2–4 player free-for-all bounty hunt; Depths of Kaav, a cooperative roguelike experience; and a solo mode designed by acclaimed game designer Dávid Turczi.

Across its planned expandable sets, the Trials Game System is designed to encompass nine champions, seven species, eight classes, more than 340 unique illustrated cards, and multiple types of enemy minions.

The artwork has been created by artists across the US, China, India, Mexico, and New Zealand, while the miniatures were sculpted by Edgar Skomorowski, whose credits include Warhammer 40,000, Rising Sun, and Kingdom Death: Monster.

Five Years of Maya Now Becomes Playable

The game has been developed and playtested for more than two years and has appeared at events including Gen Con, Essen Spiel and PAX Unplugged, as well as game stores and cafes across the US.

Early players have praised its modular game modes, strategic card system, and attempt to bring the feel of lane-based multiplayer games to a physical tabletop.

That modularity could ultimately become the game’s biggest gamble.

The Trials System includes a Game Design Sandbox, allowing players to create their own experiences using the same underlying game engine.

Zain Memon says he does not expect his own team to necessarily create the best game built on the system.

“I’m confident that the best game built on the Trials System won’t come from me or my team,” Memon said.

No Booster Packs. No Random Cards.

In a notable departure from the collectible card game model, Trials of Maya will use fixed and transparent card lists.

There are no booster packs, random card pulls, or gameplay-exclusive promotional cards. Early backer rewards are cosmetic, while the core box is intended to provide a complete competitive experience.

That could make the game particularly interesting to players frustrated by the escalating cost and randomness associated with some trading card games.

Anand Gandhi says the game will also expand the Maya story, with every champion, card and minion offering another entry point into the universe.

For Anand Gandhi, known for films including Ship of Theseus and Tumbbad, and Memon, whose SHASN and AZADI have reached players in more than 70 countries, Trials of Maya represents a major expansion beyond their established mediums.

The bigger question now is whether Maya can turn its record-setting crowdfunding momentum into a long-running tabletop gaming universe.