GUARDIAN MAIA
Maru Nihoniho
Who will save the world?
It’s 2750: a mutant tyrant rules Aotearoa New Zealand and civilians are being ravaged by the deadly Grey Death toxin he helped to create. In this action-adventure game, you will help a humble forest guardian through the unforgiving lands of New Zealand’s South Island in search of Ngā Kete Wānanga (the three baskets) which hold the key to saving your people and saving the world.
Be among the first players to experience the mysterious and thrilling world of Guardian Maia, which draws on the mythology of the Māori culture in Aotearoa, New Zealand. This game is currently under development – we invite you to playtest the latest version and then provide your feedback to the development team via the iPad.
Games offer chances to experience worlds different to the one we live in. How does it feel to spend time in Maia’s world?
Maru Nihoniho is the founder of Metia Interactive, where she leads a team of developers, artists and programmers. As a game designer and producer, Maru’s focus is on Indigenous storytelling through culture-based games that provide a powerful outlet for engagement and learning. She has published several Māori games, including Sparx which teaches rangatahi how to manage depression; Māori Pa Wars, a strategic tower defence game; Takaro to teach rangatahi about coding concepts; and Guardian Maia, interactive fiction that follows the journey of a Māori woman through a dystopian New Zealand. Her goal is to deliver games that are meaningful, featuring strong cultural themes with unique stories to tell in an authentic Indigenous voice.
Metia Interactive is a game design and development studio based in Auckland, New Zealand and was founded in 2003 by managing director Maru Nihoniho. For the past 20 years, Metia has been committed to creating inclusive and accessible games for all players which weave together universal themes and authentic representations of Indigenous Māori culture. Our goal is to deliver games that are meaningful, that feature strong cultural themes with unique stories to tell.