I follow board game crowdfunding the way some people follow transfer season. Every week there is a new campaign to size up, and most weeks I close the tab. Occasionally one holds my attention across several previews. Right now that campaign is Trials of MAYA, a tabletop MOBA live on Gamefound. I want to walk through why it stands out among the crowdfunding board games I am tracking, with the caveat that these are previews of a prototype rather than a finished retail copy.
Why this Gamefound campaign earns a backer’s attention
Tantrum House opened its September roundup by calling Trials of MAYA a love letter to cool genres: “Trials of MAYA is a love letter to some cool genres: TCGs, MOBAs and tactic games.” They also flagged the part that appeals to my strategic side, noting that “playing around your enemy’s strengths is as vital as exploiting your own.” That is the kind of interaction I look for before I pledge. What convinced me this was more than a pitch was the depth of the previews from people who play a lot of skirmish games.
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 reviewers are saying about this board game crowdfunding pick
The Italian crew at Al4oPiù called it one of the projects that drew them in most this year. They described it, in translation, as a deeper and more satisfying take on the arena battler than they expected, with each champion playing very differently once you power it up in your own direction. When a group that sees this many campaigns keeps returning to one, I pay attention. Polyhedron Collider reached a similar place from a different angle. Their presenter, not usually a fan of card driven battle games, came around once the card flow clicked and called it a fresh version of a board game MOBA: “I think this was a good version of this MOBA kind of game. I thought the activation mechanism with the cards was quite clever and felt different, felt fresh to me.” He also expects it to reward repeat plays, saying that once you really get to grips with it, “you’re going to have some fantastic battles here.”
How I would approach the pledge
My board game campaigns to watch list changes constantly, but the ones I actually back tend to share a signature: a mechanic that reviewers keep singling out. Here it is the sliding card activation and the Energy Gambit that sets your initiative now and your energy later. Sessions run 60 to 180 minutes across Siege, Headhunters, solo and co-op modes. If you want to test the waters, you can try Trials of MAYA on Tabletop Simulator before the campaign closes. That is smart crowdfunding, and it is exactly why this one is on my radar.
Rulebooks and public metadata are on BoardGameGeek, the full breakdown is on the official page, and the campaign is live on Gamefound now.