Asmodee will release two design studio Bombyx titles by prolific game designer Bruno Cathala (Five Tribes, Shadows Over Camelot): Histrio and Zany Penguins. Both are scheduled to release in the first half of next year.

Histrio features a drama contest between troupes of anthropomorphic characters competing for the favor of King Leonus XIV.  Players must travel around the kingdom to recruit their casts, then put on their performances, hoping to earn enough cash to fund their efforts for the next season.  But success also depends on predicting the fickle tastes of the king in order to put on a hit performance.

The game includes a cardboard stage that must be assembled to play, as well as 110 cards, 35 wagons, 15 manager figurines, a game board and 80 plastic coins.  Histrio was designed by Cathala and Christian Martinez (Expedition Altiplano) for 2 to 5 players, ages 10 and up, and plays in about 40 minutes.  MSRP is $39.99.

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Co-designed with freshman designer Mathieu Lanvin, Zany Penguins imagines an army of penguins setting out to conquer the world.  But the penguins are not completely united, and compete for control of different areas while sabotaging the efforts of the others by transferring their least competent troops to another command.  The result is a card-based area-control game with a strong “take that” element.

Zany Penguins includes 90 cards.  It was designed for 2 to 5 players, ages 7 and up, and plays in about 20 minutes.  MSRP is $14.99.