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Ladies, gentlemen, guests, I would like to welcome you to… Wait, that’s not the right script. I do hope you’re prepared for a show though because it’s your job to put one on for the audience! Or at least for the King.
Histrio is quite a unique game in the way that it works, and its little quirks really do make it shine. Essentially, you’re working towards a win condition that can change from turn to turn, and you have to be able to adapt to that in order to come out on top. Don’t worry though- it sounds more complicated than it really is.
How Exactly Do We Make A Show?
I already told you Histrio tasks you with creating the best show, but how does that happen? Well, over the course of two seasons players travel to different cities, hiring actors and acrobats for their own personal troupe. This is the merry band you’ll be using to try and win the favour of King Leonus XIV.
If you succeed there are riches to be won, but if he does not like your show… well, you probably won’t be remembered… Depending on how the King feels, you’ll have to pick the best actors for your troupe, because his mood can change like the weather and we’ve had situations where we get an amazing setup that will win the game… and then everything falls apart the next turn!
So What Makes Some Old King’s Mood Swings So Important?
A silly question really! These ‘moods’ mean everything! If you go to a theatre to see a show, it can be jolly and happy, a merry old time. Or it can be a tearful and heart-wrenching experience. Histrio doesn’t shy away from that, and the King is a little indecisive. Over the course of the game, he will change what he wants to see, between a comedy and a tragedy.
You have to match your troupe to whatever the King wants by the end of the season if you're wanting to get the most coin and win the game. This is quite tricky at first, but as you get into the game you get a good idea of what the King will want at a particular time. Thought and planning will get you a long way here.
An Abstract Idea With Fiendish Simplicity
Histrio isn’t designed to be an incredibly complex game with ten different win conditions, twenty different classes and a thousand unique cards. While it can seem daunting at first, the gameplay loop is very simple and easy to pick up: each turn you all choose one of eight cities to go to (at the same time). Then if you’re the only person that picks a city you get all the cards there to add to your troupe, and you can choose to influence the King’s mood to better suit your situation.
If you pick the same city as another player though, nobody keeps the cards! Instead, all of them are used to influence the King, and this is where the game can change in a big way within a single turn! The strategy comes in deciding what cities hold the best cards for you, but also in trying to guess what your enemies are going to pick. Do you risk a really good city with lots of cards, when another player might have their eyes set on it as well?
Histrio: The Big Money Game
True, you’re trying to please the King with a show. But that’s a means to an end. Your true goal is to earn the most coins, or Ecus as they’re called here, by the end of the second season. Whoever has the most will win, simple as that!
There are a variety of ways to try and meet this goal though; some of the cards simply give you a few coins instead of an actor or acrobat, your managers can help bolster your coffers, and of course the King himself will reward you for pleasing him. And for the extra competitive players, if you can put on a better performance than your rivals you get a bonus!
Acrobats… Does This Mean We’re A Circus Now?!
Not quite. That could be a good idea for a similar game though! Besides being able to get direct coins and actors for your troupe when you pick up cards, there is a special set of cards that can influence the game in unusual ways: acrobats. These don’t usually change the King’s mood themselves, and they generally don’t contribute to your Ecu total either.
What they bring is a series of unique effects that can help you catch other players or get yourself ahead of the competition. There are twelve acrobat cards in total, with seven unique ones and five copies of a different one. These cards can allow things you couldn’t normally do, like the Ox’s power to block opponents from entering a city of your choice, the Horse who lets you travel to two cities in a single turn, or the Bear who lets you take the cards in a city, even if someone else goes there with you.
When used correctly these cards can tip the scales and give you a much-needed boost when things look hopeless or you’re all fighting for that top position. The last acrobat- the one with five copies- is the Chameleon, and he’s a little different to the others. When you total points at the end of a season he can give your troupe a little boost that might make your show a pleasing one to the King, or just push you up to have the best show. And with several copies you don’t have to worry if your opponents help themselves to one before you can.
Shhhh, I Have A Secret to Tell You
The last little way you can get a few extra Ecus for your coin purse is through Secret Requests. These personal side goals are all unique and can sometimes change the way you play. Everyone starts with one and anyone who ever shares a city space with another player gets another Secret Request card.
Some of the simple ones give you a little boost for having specific kinds of cards, like acrobats or comedians, but the most wacky ones can make you play the game in a completely different way. The King’s Confessor rewards you for never having any Acrobats in your troupe, meaning you have to forego those nice little advantage cards if you want a tricky win like this.
The Master of Protocol actually gives you more Ecus for having an equal number of Comedians and Tragedians, meaning you can actually ignore the King’s mood if you like! But the most unique by far is The Queen: She gives you a whopping ten Ecus if your show does not please the King, making this by far the highest number of Ecus you can gain at a time!
Now Go Forth, And Create A Spectacular Performance!
And that’s it! There are quite a few things to learn, but the rules lay it all out nicely and the game is designed to be pretty simple once you get into it. It’s a fun family game with a healthy dose of competition, and its light-hearted theme and cute little card artwork really appeals to all ages. Its simplicity as a concept makes it a good game for a new player to pick up, whilst the potential depth and strategy of thinking ahead and trying to sabotage your opponents is perfect for Histrio veterans.
We loved playing this and found the setup time was short, the game itself didn’t last for hours, and we had a lot of fun! It’s quite different to other games, and this made it a nice change from some of the more standard game themes and ideas out there. So go backstage and get your troupe ready! I hear you’re up to perform next! Good luck, and beware- the King’s mood can change at any moment…
