Summary
đź‘Ą A game for 1 player
⏳ Play time is 20 to 60 minutes
🏢 Publisher is Van Ryder Games
On this page you can find small reviews of these Feature Film Boxes;
– Carnage at the Carnival
– Slaughter in the Groves
Introduction
In Final Girl, you are the heroine in your own horror movie. Search for weapons, save innocent victims, and try to outwit the ruthless killer. But beware: while you make plans, the killer leaves a trail of chaos and death.
Will you survive the night and defeat the evil, or will you become the next victim? It’s you or the killer!
Will you be the last one to stand tall or at least defeat the killer?
Based on a famous horror film, Final Girl is a solo game that puts the player in the shoes of a female protagonist who must kill the killer if she is to survive.
The Core Box, combined with one of the Film Boxes, contains everything you need to play the game. Each Film Box has a unique assassin and iconic location, but the more Films you have, the more assassin/location combinations you can combine!
Assassins and locations each have their own specific terror cards that are shuffled together to create a unique experience with different combinations of scenarios you can play!
The game ends as soon as you have killed the Killer (victory) or you are dead (defeat). In the rare case that both happen at the same time, you are still victorious because you accomplished your goal, even if it required the ultimate sacrifice.
Let’s get it on the table
The game is played in turns, each consisting of five phases. You play until either you or the Killer is dead!
The Game Turn
A turn in Final Girl has 5 phases:
The Action Phase
The Planning Phase
The Killer Phase
The Panic Phase
The Maintenance Phase
Step 1: The Action Phase
During this phase, you play action cards to move, attack, rest, search and/or perform other actions. You always start the game with the six Zero Cost Action cards, unless otherwise indicated. You always start the game with the Zero Cost Action cards unless otherwise indicated.
Step 2: The Planning Phase
Once the Action Phase ends, whether voluntarily or not, you enter the Planning Phase. During this phase, you spend the remaining time to buy cards from the Action Tableau. Follow these steps in order:
1. Spend time to buy action cards from the action tableau. If the cost of a card is greater than zero, move the time marker down one space on the track for each time spent. The cost for each action card is shown in the lower right corner of the card. You may not:
- Buy action cards that have been played or discarded since the last Planning Phase (or the beginning of the game on the first turn).
- Buy a card if paying the cost would bring the time marker below zero space on the time track.
- Buy a card if you already have 10 cards in your hand.
Finally, place all action cards played or discarded since the last Planning Phase back in the action tableau with other cards of the same name. The Zero Cost cards are all placed in the same pile.
2. When you finish buying action cards, reset the time marker to 6 on the time track, unused time is lost!
3. Finally, place all action cards played or discarded since the last Planning Phase back in the action tableau with other cards of the same name. The Zero Cost cards are all placed in the same pile.
Step 3: The Killer Phase.
During this phase, the killer acts and/or other location-related things happen. Solve the following in order:
Pull the top terror card and solve the effects from top to bottom.
Step 4: The Panic Phase
After the Killer Phase, you must check for victims who panic. A Victim panics if:
– At least one Victim has been killed this turn (where and how this happened does not matter) AND
– the victim is in the same room as the killer. To solve panic, roll a die for the victim and consult the numbers in their space on the board. Move the victim one space in the indicated direction or leave them where they are if the number rolled is not displayed. Repeat this process for each victim who panics. If multiple victims panic, you can choose the order. Although victims will not follow you into the assassin’s space as explained earlier, they will occasionally panic into the assassin’s space.
Step 5: The Maintenance Phase
Usually you don’t need to do much or anything in the Maintenance Phase, but make sure you stay aware of any effects of events or other special rules that require you to do something in this phase. Follow these steps in order:
Final Check. If there are no more terror cards in the terror deck, reveal the final card.
Perform any required maintenance as indicated by events, objects, other cards or special rules.
If you wish, you can rearrange items between your backpack and hands. This is the only time you may rearrange your inventory except when you receive a new object card. You are ready for the next turn.
The Finale
When there are no more terror cards in the terror deck, the finale is revealed during the Maintenance Phase. Turn over the card and place it in the same space. Some Finale cards have immediate effects when revealed, and some have ongoing effects to be applied as the card indicates. In the rare case that the Final is revealed and the Dark Power card is still closed, the Dark Power must also be revealed. The new final killer action displayed in the upper left corner of the card replaces the original killer action that was on the back of the card. This new action is the one that will take place during the Killer Phase for the rest of the game. Once the finale is revealed, you no longer draw a terror card during the Killer Phase.
Objects
These can be found by searching while in a search field. Many objects must be held in your hands to use them. These objects have one or two hand icons on the map. Other, smaller objects you can use from your backpack and thus have no hand icons. When you get an object after a successful search, place it in the hand or backpack boxes on the right side of the player board. If you get an object, you can rearrange it freely. Otherwise, you may rearrange them only during the Upkeep phase.
Weapons
Many objects you need to hold in your hands are weapons. On the left side of the item card is the range and damage modifier. If you have a different weapon in each hand, you must choose one to use when performing an attack.
Damage modifier – Unless otherwise specified, weapons modify attacks performed with Action Cards. When you perform an Action card and deal 1 or more damage, you may add the weapon’s Damage modifier to deal additional damage.
Range – This number indicates how many places you must be from the killer to attack with the weapon. Weapons with a ‘0’ range can only be used if you are in the same space as the assassin. Weapons with a ‘1’ or higher range can only be used if you are that many places away from the killer.
Introduction to some of the Film Boxes
Final Girl: Carnage at the Carnival
Difficulty: 2.85/ 5
Killer – Gepetto – The Puppet Master
“He Travels from state to state and runs his operation for a few days just like any other freakshow would. When it grows in popularity… that’s when he makes his move adding as many of them to his family as he can. He keeps us around to keep up appearance, but I fear one day soon he will welcome me into the family too.” – Excerpt for the journal of Harris Campbell, theme park ride operator.
Gepetto has 3 Puppets, also known as Minions. Once he manages to kill one then it is placed in the Exhausted spot. Each killer phase, until the finale, the first step in the Minion action is to Spawn a puppet. Place the puppet in Gepetto’s location. If there is no Puppet in the ready space, then nothing happens. As a surprise, Gepetto also has some terror cards with Puppets.
Puppets have 1 life and 1 attack maximum, they move just as far as Gepetto can move. While moving, they may be a maximum of 2 steps away from Gepetto.
Location – Carnival of Blood
“Of course the public doesn’t know we call it the Carnival of Blood. We ARE still trying to sell tickets you know! There is a reason we roam the country finding new towns to set up in, and it ain’t because we like to travel. The ‘management’ pays good and they leave the help like me alone, so that’s good enough for me. Someone comes in and never makes it home? That’s not my problem.” – Name withheld by request, Manager of the House of Mirrors
This location has 3 Item trap cards in addition to some standard items. From the items cards, create 3 decks of 2 cards and place 1 item trap card on each. After this, shuffle the deck again and place the top item card face up. After this you can start playing.
In the game there are 2 types of traps, Item traps and Terror traps. The Item traps are in the Item deck and Terror traps are in the Terror deck. When you draw a card, you resolve it as always but some cards may cause you to place certain traps on the board. Each Terror trap has its own effect and always remain on the board. As soon as you or a Victim lands on this spot, the trap is activated.
Final Girl: Slaughter in the Groves
Difficulty: 3.00/ 5
Killer – Inkanyamba
“Whoever Inkanyamba used to be no longer matters. He has taken for himself the name of the legendary monster and has become a creature of pure wrath. His sole purpose is to exact vengeance on those around him, even if he long ago for the reasons for what vengeance. In order to overcome him, you will need to manage his ever rising anger, represented by Killer Wrath. If it boils over, you will never survive the ensuing onslaught!“
Inkanyamba has a Killer Wrath card and two new action cards called Atonement. Whenever you are instructed to Increase or Decrease the Killer Wrath lightning (red), move the marker on the Killer Wrath card up or down by the specified number of levels. When you need to Unleash the Killer Wrath lightning, check its current level on the card and apply any listed effects—for example, performing a killer action.
Some cards allow you to reduce the Killer Wrath lightning, but the primary way to do so is by purchasing Atonement action cards. These cards can be played to try to decrease either Killer Wrath lightning or Divine Wrath when playing with the Sacred Groves location. They are unique and can be used when you achieve a successful line with three or more successes on a Horror roll.
Location – Sacred Groves
“The gods are furious over the desecration of their sacred places by idiotic, obnoxious tourists! They’ve forged an unholy pact with the Killer, unleashing their wrath upon you and the oblivious victims in an attempt to cleanse the Groves with blood and fire. As you fight to survive against the Killer’s onslaught, you’ll need to simultaneously contend with the fury of the gods, represented by Divine Wrath.”
Place the Divine Wrath card in the play area. Position the Sacred Groves Bloodlust track directly to the right of the chosen Killer’s board, aligning it with the Killer’s Bloodlust track. Include the two Atonement Action cards, which are provided by Inkanyamba. Set the Sacred Groves Finale token aside—it is only needed if the Finale is revealed.
Just as you adjusted the Killer Wrath card by increasing or decreasing its marker, do the same with the Divine Wrath card, moving its marker up and down as instructed. Whenever horror increases on the horror track, in addition to any effects on the Killer board, you must also apply the effect listed on the corresponding line of the Sacred Groves Bloodlust track. Some cards allow you to reduce the yellow lightning, but the primary way to do so is by purchasing Atonement cards.
When the Finale is triggered, place the Sacred Groves Finale token on top of the Finale card. During the Killer Phase, you must first Unleash the yellow lightning, then Increase it by 1, as indicated on the token.
Conclusion & final score
Re-playability: 10
Our score: 9 out of 10 dice
Final Girl had been on the wish list to play for a long time and we were given the opportunity by Van Ryder Games to receive the Core Box with 2 expansions. In the meantime a number of Feature Film Boxes have been added and even though we haven’t played them all yet, this already says a lot. Not every Feature Film Box appeals to us and we will not play them right away but we are certainly open to them.
Let’s start with our review, Final Girl is first of all a solo game with a theme that is really well incorporated into the game. Setting up the game takes some time but after that you can just enjoy playing, the game can end quickly or not and that makes it really fun. Are you done quickly, e.g. because you did not survive the fight against the killer, then you play another game? Shuffle all the cards from the various piles again and enter the battle again, who knows, maybe you will survive this time.
Final Girl is a game where you have to roll dice to get results, sometimes you will be lucky and sometimes against. But the result, with a 3 and 4, you can sometimes also influence by discarding cards but if you roll a 5 or 6 then there is nothing wrong. If you have done well and the horror track stands in your favor, you may even roll 3 dice for more influence. Furthermore, you use a lot of action cards and they change every round, you can buy new cards by time and you can also decide what to buy if you have enough time. The game is so well put together and correct, is there nothing negative to say? Yes there is, it’s just not an easy game, you’re not going to quickly kill the Killer and survive the night. You have to really try hard and sometimes have a little luck.
Some Killers also have additional minions like Gepetto in our first review. But fortunately there are also Killers without too many extras. For example, if you want to start with this series, buy the Feature Film Box – The Happy Trails Horror both The Killer and the Location contain no extra rules and with that you can learn the game just fine.
We think the replayability is really super and therefore give it a 10! In 1 Feature Film Box you already have so much replayability, add some more boxes and it only gets more. Not only for the heroine but also all the other cards like locations, events, terror cards etc.
We are fans and will be enjoying all the Movie Boxes in the near future.
Thanks to Van Ryder Games for the review copy of the base game and some Feature Film box expansions. Not all Feature Film boxes have been received as review copies, because this is just a great series of games and we’ve purchased some of them ourselves.
