Every month I comb through the new Gamefound board games looking for the one campaign I would actually back, and this September has a clear standout. Trials of MAYA launched on Gamefound on 8 September and is live now, and it has jumped straight to the top of my watch list. I follow a lot of crowdfunding, so I try to be skeptical. This one earned a longer look because the pitch is sharp and the preview coverage has been consistently warm.
Why it leads my Gamefound board games list
Among the Gamefound campaigns I am tracking, Trials of MAYA has the clearest identity. In Tantrum House’s September roundup, a sponsored preview, the host framed it as “a love letter to some cool genres: TCGs, MOBAs and tactic games.” That combination is unusual, and it is executed with intent rather than as a gimmick. The host also stressed the interaction, saying, “Playing around your enemy’s strengths is as vital as exploiting your own.” For a card driven arena game, that emphasis on reading your opponent is exactly what I hope to see.
What is Trials of MAYA?
Trials of MAYA is an expandable card-driven arena combat game. It combines three genres: MOBAs, classic 90s tactics games, and TCGs without booster packs. It plays 1 to 4 players in 60 to 180 minutes for ages 14 and up. Siege runs as 2v2, The Battle for Dhaara, and 1v1, Skirmish for Vyati. It launches on Gamefound September 8, 2026.
What backers actually get
The value story is a big reason it stands out in board game crowdfunding. In The Dice Tower’s Crowdsurfing spotlight, the host was direct: “This is not a collectible game. There’s no randomized pulls or booster packs, but instead it comes with nine champions and 340 unique illustrated action cards.” He also captured the design blend well, describing how it “combines the crunchy strategic depth of modern MOBAs with [the] spatial puzzling of 90s tactics games.” Every champion belongs to a species and can be built and played your own way, so two players can even run the same character very differently. For upcoming Gamefound projects, that kind of fixed, generous box is a strong signal.
Coverage that keeps me interested
The preview from The Boardgames Chronicle added to my confidence. Michael was astonished by the prototype components and said plainly, “the game looks very tasty.” He also noted that “around 8,000 people are following on Gamefound,” calling it worth checking and supporting for fans of the genre. I like that the enthusiasm spans different kinds of creators, from crowdfunding roundups to hands on unboxings. When a campaign holds up across that range, it usually means the fundamentals are solid.
How to check it out
I have only watched previews of a prototype, so I will not oversell the final product. But if you are scanning Gamefound board games this September for something with a distinct identity and a fair, non collectible box, Trials of MAYA is the campaign I would open first. It is live now, and you can even try it on Tabletop Simulator before deciding whether to back. For a busy crowdfunding month, that is a rare combination of ambition and transparency.
Rulebooks and public metadata are on BoardGameGeek, the full breakdown is on the official page, and the campaign is live on Gamefound now.