Mayan League
project overview
The Mayan League was a 3 day collaborative design project developed as part of our second year History of Architecture coursework. The objective was to reinterpret the Mayan civilisation through an interactive board game format, transforming historical research into an engaging, tactile learning experience.
Instead of creating a board game that merely “travels back in time,” we aimed to build an immersive world, one that feels alive, and discoverable. The game introduces players to Mayan architecture, rituals, daily life, astronomy, and mythology through spatial movement across a landscape inspired board.
The Mayan League was a 3 day collaborative design project developed as part of our second year History of Architecture coursework. The objective was to reinterpret the Mayan civilisation through an interactive board game format, transforming historical research into an engaging, tactile learning experience.
Instead of creating a board game that merely “travels back in time,” we aimed to build an immersive world, one that feels alive, and discoverable. The game introduces players to Mayan architecture, rituals, daily life, astronomy, and mythology through spatial movement across a landscape inspired board.
project type
Board Game designing
Packaging Design
year
2022
2024
my role
Visual Designer & Art Director
Lead Brand Designer
subject
Arch Hist. project
brew can co.
Visual Identity
THE LOGO
As it is a historical game, the logo needed to evoke a sense of mystery and adventure. Inspired by carved stone inscriptions and Mayan cosmology, the bold letterforms feel grounded and bold, while subtle depth and glow add a sense of atmosphere.
The goal was to create a dramatic mark that feels ancient yet playable. A logo that suggests legacy, knowledge, and adventure, while still feeling like a game you want to pick up and explore, and the contrast in colours make it instantly recognisable!
As it is a historical game, the logo needed to evoke a sense of mystery and adventure. Inspired by carved stone inscriptions and Mayan cosmology, the bold letterforms feel grounded and bold, while subtle depth and glow add a sense of atmosphere.
The goal was to create a dramatic mark that feels ancient yet playable. A logo that suggests legacy, knowledge, and adventure, while still feeling like a game you want to pick up and explore, and the contrast in colours make it instantly recognisable!
Initial Iteration:
✓ Fresh & approachable
✓ Captures environment of the Mayan civilisation
✗ Lacked presence and authority
✗ Doesn't communicate the cultural depth / mythic intensity of game
Final:
✓ Stronger contrast, drama, and spatial depth
✓ Darker palette, and inscriptions give monumentality
✓ Glow adds a sense of mystery, feels mythical
✓ Feels grounded, immersive, and historically anchored
THE COLOUR PALETTE
Hex #110C0B
Hex #c6e63c
Hex #3f4b27
Hex #3a7557
Hex #9ac7a0
Hex #4e5986
Hex #db7658
Hex #e49952
Hex #e9b47e
A bold and immersive colour system was developed to reflect both the vibrancy of the Mayan civilisation and the playful nature of the game.
A bold and immersive colour system was developed to reflect both the vibrancy of the Mayan civilisation and the playful nature of the game.
THE TYPOGRAPHY
HEADLINE FONT
News 702 Bold
News 702 Bold
The Mayan League
The Mayan League
SUBHEADLINE FONT
DIN Condensed
DIN Condensed
A Handmade Educational Board Game
A Handmade Educational Board Game
BODY FONT
Cascadia Mono Regular
Traverse through the board and reach the Kulcan Temple, meet the sacred jaguar and it will return you to your present. Fail, and you will be sacrificed, forever lost in history.
Traverse through the board and reach the Kulcan Temple, meet the sacred jaguar and it will return you to your present. Fail, and you will be sacrificed, forever lost in history.
Packaging
100%
HANDMADE
Everything was handmade from scratch using clay, foam board, mill board, paint, magnets, and textured finishes. The final box includes the board, manual, pawns, coins, Mayan die, ball-and-hoop element, two card decks, architectural blocks, and custom packaging.
Everything was handmade from scratch using clay, foam board, mill board, paint, magnets, and textured finishes. The final box includes the board, manual, pawns, coins, Mayan die, ball-and-hoop element, two card decks, architectural blocks, and custom packaging.
Board design
Generating Linework
Designing Terrain
Colouring Pathways
Labelling
Final
Components
PAWN DESIGN
Making of the pawns using Air dry clay
Making of the pawns using Air dry clay
The game includes four sculpted pawns, two representing the Mayans and two representing the Toltecs.
They were conceived as miniature stone figures, inspired by temple carvings, ritual sculptures, and Mesoamerican iconography. Each form carries distinct structures to subtly differentiate the two civilisations while maintaining a unified material language.
The game includes four sculpted pawns, two representing the Mayans and two representing the Toltecs.
They were conceived as miniature stone figures, inspired by temple carvings, ritual sculptures, and Mesoamerican iconography. Each form carries distinct structures to subtly differentiate the two civilisations while maintaining a unified material language.
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
CARDS
12 coins are categorised according to the principle factors of Chichen Itza. They are the related to Sea, Food, Construction and Weapons. The ordinary life of a man in Chichen Itza greatly depended upon these factors.
12 coins are categorised according to the principle factors of Chichen Itza. They are the related to Sea, Food, Construction and Weapons. The ordinary life of a man in Chichen Itza greatly depended upon these factors.
COINS
12 coins are categorised according to the principle factors of Chichen Itza. They are the related to Sea, Food, Construction and Weapons. The ordinary life of a man in Chichen Itza greatly depended upon these factors.
12 coins are categorised according to the principle factors of Chichen Itza. They are the related to Sea, Food, Construction and Weapons. The ordinary life of a man in Chichen Itza greatly depended upon these factors.
BUILDINGS
All Built forms were made either by clay or by 3D printing and layering it with paint.
All Built forms were made either by clay or by 3D printing and layering it with paint.
Photos
