Guardian Maia

Māori culture in Guardian Maia

Guardian Maia explores the landscape and rich belief systems of Aotearoa New Zealand through a sci-fi lens.

Set 300 years in the future, players help a forest guardian named Maia travel through New Zealand’s South Island. Along the way, they meet powerful women from tradition Māori stories, like the goddess of the underworld Hine-nui-te-pō, and the wise women Kōkōtea.

Developed by a Māori-led team at Metia Interactive, Guardian Maia connects players to Māori culture. The developers are working with cultural consultants and historical references to authentically represent Māori history, tikanga (customs), carving and costuming.

The lead character Maia, for instance, can be seen wielding a Mere Pounamu, a short, broad-bladed greenstone weapon, and women are represented with moko kauae, the traditional Māori face tattooing practice, which tells the story of the person wearing it.

Tā moko

Tā moko is the traditional Māori practice of tattooing, often used to tell a person’s story through visual patterns. Moko kauae, worn on a woman’s chin, reflects her whakapapa (ancestry). Once outlawed under the Tohunga Suppression Act (1907), tā moko has since been reclaimed as a proud symbol of Māori identity, often marking important life events like graduations, milestone birthdays, or the passing of a loved one.

Capturing the haka

Haka are ceremonial dances, often associated with war, but also with strength and pride. Mau rakau is a traditional Māori martial art, known for its brutality and short-ranged weapons.

Here, we see these practices captured with motion capture technology – a process which translates a performer’s movement into a digital model that can be mapped onto a game character. With this process, the game’s designers can realistically capture culturally specific movements that would otherwise be difficult to simulate.

Te ao Māori

Guardian Maia is inspired by the traditional Māori story of Tāne, god of the forest, who climbed through the 12 heavens to retrieve the baskets of knowledge for humankind. The game reflects Te ao Māori – the Māori worldview – which centres on kinship, protection, and the deep connection between people and the natural world.

Developed by Māori-led studio Metia Interactive, Guardian Maia draws directly from the landscapes of Aotearoa. The team filled their workspace with photos of the South Island’s forests, lakes and mountains to guide the game's design.

Players journey alongside Maia, a forest guardian who calls on ancient deities and native creatures. She rides a giant Moa (a giant, flightless bird that’s now extinct), carries a kiwi in her backpack, and visits Taniwha – a dragon-like guardian said to live in deep waters.

Blending real locations, cultural knowledge, and fantasy, Guardian Maia invites players to explore Māori culture through a uniquely interactive experience.