News & Updates

October 2026
Featured

Selected as a Kirkus Best Audiobook and winner of an Earphones Award

Selected as a Kirkus Best Audiobook and winner of an Earphones Award.

  1. Oct 13, 2026

    Trials of Maya closes at 679% funded

    Update 26. The campaign closed at $339,531 from 1,161 backers, against a $50,000 goal.

  2. Oct 13, 2026

    The Endgame livestream

    Update 25. A livestream of the final minutes of the campaign.

  3. Oct 12, 2026

    Last day of the campaign

    Update 24. Under 24 hours left, with the Endgame set for the next day.

  4. Oct 10, 2026

    Campaign Puzzle #7

    Update 23. The seventh campaign puzzle, posted in the final stretch.

  5. Oct 9, 2026

    Paul Semel interviews Anand Gandhi and Zain Memon

    The authors of Maya: Seed Takes Root, interviewed on paulsemel.com.

  6. Oct 8, 2026

    Trials of Maya at New York Comic Con

    Update 22. Meet co-creator Zain Memon at NYCC 2026.

  7. Oct 7, 2026

    The base game card library is public

    Update 21. Every base game card at cards.trialsofmaya.com, plus a new backer vote and puzzle.

  8. Sept 30, 2026

    Campaign Puzzle #5

    Update 20. Kill one or two enemy champions in a turn to earn extra voting power.

  9. Sept 27, 2026

    Shape Your Champion #2 and Campaign Puzzle #4

    Update 19. Backers vote on the second champion in Champion Set 3: Will-o’-the-Whispers.

  10. Sept 24, 2026

    Campaign Puzzle #3

    Update 18. Earn the most XP in one turn with Mauravi.

  11. Sept 22, 2026

    The first Will-o’-the-Whispers champion

    Update 17. Backers chose a Manushya Artificer Lifebreather. Next vote: concept art and pose.

  12. Sept 19, 2026

    Shipping rates reduced

    Update 16. Lower shipping rates for every bundle.

  13. Sept 18, 2026

    Shape Your Champion and Campaign Puzzle #1

    Update 15. Backers vote on the first champion in Champion Set 3.

  14. Sept 14, 2026

    Depths of Kaav rulebook

    Update 14. Rules for the new mode, played solo or co-op with 2 to 4 players. At trialsofmaya.com/rulebooks.

  15. Sept 12, 2026

    Epic Pledge added

    Update 13. The base game with both champion sets: 12 champions and 2 game modes. Weekly champion polls from 15 September.

  16. Sept 9, 2026

    Backers vote on the next stretch goal

    Update 12. Backers pick the next 12 Special Cards. Satin varnish won the card finish poll.

  17. Sept 8, 2026

    Trials of Maya is funded

    Update 11. Funded in 4 hours and 46 minutes. The first stretch goal adds 24 unique cards to the base game.

  18. Sept 7, 2026

    Trials of Maya shipping and bundles on Gamefound

    Update 10. Shipping rates reduced. Siege 3v3 and Game Mode Sandbox removed from this campaign. Legendary pledge $233. Mythic pledge $306.

  19. Sept 6, 2026

    Trials of Maya How To Play on Gamefound

    Update 9. Official How To Play playlist. Core system, Siege 2v2, Siege 1v1, and Headhunters.

  20. Sept 4, 2026

    Trials of Maya rewards and SKUs on Gamefound

    Update 8. Heroic, Legendary, Mythic, Eternal pledges. Legendary: 13 champions, 7 game modes, 959 additional cards. Follow reward: Kulie Ascending.

  21. Aug 30, 2026

    Trials of Maya card sets on Gamefound

    Update 7. Deck construction. Base game: Shadows of the Scion, 108 unique cards. Champion sets and two Deck Constructor kits.

  22. Aug 25, 2026

    The Big Idea on John Scalzi's Whatever

    Anand Gandhi and Zain Memon on MAYA: Seed Takes Root.

  23. Aug 25, 2026

    MAYA: Seed Takes Root is out

    Hardcover, ebook, and audiobook. Order now.

  24. Aug 22, 2026

    The Life of an Action Card in Play

    Update 6. Action Card lifecycle. Initiative, actions, trait symbols, and energy from the same card.

  25. Aug 20, 2026

    MAYA: The Journey So Far

    Kickstarter record, Hugo Weaving audiobook awards, press, and the August 25 launch.

  26. Aug 18, 2026

    We have a launch date!

    Update 5. Trials of Maya launches 8 September 2026.

  27. Aug 13, 2026

    Gen Con Recap

    Update 4. Trials of Maya at Gen Con 2026.

  28. Aug 2026

    Locus Magazine cover + interview

    Anand Gandhi and Zain Memon on the cover of the August 2026 Locus Magazine.

  29. Jul 2026

    Nautilus names MAYA among books to read in August

    Nautilus lists MAYA among nine books to read in August.

  30. Jul 27, 2026

    Trials of Maya is now live on Tabletop Simulator!

    Update 3. Trials of Maya is live on Tabletop Simulator.

  31. 2026

    Trials of MAYA at Gen Con

    Playtests and booth events in Indianapolis.

  32. Jul 15, 2026

    Trials of Maya is Coming to Gen Con!

    Update 2. Trials of Maya at Gen Con 2026, Indianapolis.

  33. Jul 2026

    Gizmodo publishes a Hugo Weaving audiobook excerpt

    Audiobook excerpt from MAYA: Seed Takes Root, read by Hugo Weaving.

  34. Sep 8, 2026

    Trials of MAYA on Gamefound, September 8

    Crowdfunding for the tabletop arena game opens September 8, 2026.

  35. May 16, 2026

    This is NOT a TCG...

    Update 1. No product randomness. Deck construction and card pools.

  36. 2026

    Highest-funded debut novel on Kickstarter

    4,185 backers. Funded 2,000%+. 170+ collaborators. Highest-funded debut novel on Kickstarter.

  37. Aug 2025

    Screen Rant on the MAYA universe launch

    Hugo Weaving helps kick off the MAYA sci-fi fantasy franchise.

  38. Aug 2025

    Esquire on Anand Gandhi and Zain Memon building MAYA

    The Mythmakers. Anand Gandhi and Zain Memon reunite to build MAYA.

  39. Aug 2025

    Comic Crusaders introduces MAYA

    Introducing MAYA, a sci-fi epic featuring Hugo Weaving.

  40. Aug 2025

    The Hollywood Reporter on the MAYA universe

    Anand Gandhi and Zain Memon launch an ambitious sci-fi fantasy universe.

  41. 2025

    Variety on the MAYA transmedia universe

    Anand Gandhi and Zain Memon discuss the MAYA transmedia universe.

  42. Aug 26, 2026

    Homegrown talks to Anand Gandhi and Zain Memon about Maya

    Anand Gandhi and Zain Memon on building the Maya universe.

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Maya: Seed Takes Root