Living Card Game vs Expandable Card Game: The Difference

The phrase living card game gets thrown around a lot, often for any card game that gets expansions. It is worth being precise, because “living card game” is a specific trademarked term from Fantasy Flight, not a generic category. I want to explain what it means, then clear up where Trials of MAYA actually fits, since this preview-stage game is often lumped in with that label by mistake. I have followed its coverage rather than played the final game.

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 a living card game actually is

The term living card game describes a specific distribution model used by Fantasy Flight Games. Living card games ship a fixed core set, then release expansions as known, non-random packs, so you always know exactly which cards a set contains. It was a reaction to collectible models where you bought blind boosters and chased rares. The idea behind living card games is a good one. But the name itself is a trademark, so other publishers with a similar fixed-content approach use a different word: expandable.

Trials of MAYA is expandable, not an LCG

This is the key point for anyone comparing LCG vs expandable card game options. Trials of MAYA is an expandable card game. It is not a living card game, and I would not call it one, but it shares the trait people like most: fixed content card games with no random pulls. Banzainator gave a clear overview of the fixed content: “The designers made it clear that even though you can create your own play style, there’s no booster packs, random pulls, or crowdfunding exclusive gameplay cards. Everything is visible and fixed at print.” That is the expandable model in a sentence. The Dice Tower described the card pool the same way: “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.” Whether you call the broad family expandable or think of living card games as a cousin, the buyer-friendly promise is the same: what you see is what you get.

Why the distinction is worth keeping

Getting the label right helps you set expectations. You build decks through deck construction from that fixed pool, and the standout mechanic is the Energy Gambit, where one committed card sets your initiative now and your energy later. None of that depends on chasing packs. The game underneath earns the interest, too. The Hungry Gamer, a self-described MOBA skeptic, came away impressed, praising the “sliding river tableau” as “very, very clever” and saying, “I have not seen that before.” He also loved the setting: “It’s not generic fantasy. It’s not generic space. It is clearly coming from a different cultural base.”

The short version

A living card game is a specific Fantasy Flight term for fixed-content, no-booster releases. Trials of MAYA is expandable rather than an LCG, but it delivers that same fixed-content clarity. It offers Siege 1v1, Siege 2v2 (Battle for Dhaara), a Headhunters free-for-all, and solo and co-op, with games from 60 to 180 minutes. You can try it on Tabletop Simulator, and the Gamefound campaign is live now.

Rulebooks and public metadata are on BoardGameGeek, the full breakdown is on the official page, and the campaign is live on Gamefound now.