So here’s the thing about the Final Girl Feature Film boxes. The gameplay of each feature film is broadly going to be the same. Where each feature film differs is some element in the set up, and the specific rules around the villain and the location you’re playing with. So in order to save you, dear reader, from reading the same thing over and over again, here is a handy link to the original How to Play for the Final Girl Core Box (also written by me!). What will follow is the specific differences between the Slaughter in the Groves Feature Film.
Set Up
In this box, you have two new Final Girl Cards to use: Gretel and Red, and a new Killer: The Big Bad Wolf. It’s all very thematic for the story we have going on here. Like with the base game, you’ll shuffle in the Terror Cards for the Location and the Killer into a deck and follow the setup cards as normal.
How to Play
The Killer and Location have special rules for this set, so follow the respective rules during play. These are pretty similar, but there might be times when you play with the Killer or Location separately, so I’m keeping them separate.
Inkanyamba
Inkanyamba the Avenger brings a couple of new features with him to help exact revenge. On you specifically. No one’s really sure why. The changes we add into this game are the Killer Wrath card and the special Atonement Action cards.
During setup, you’ll add the Killer Wrath card to the play area, placing a tracking marker on level 2. You’ll also add the Atonement Action cards to the Action Tableau.
Killer Wrath
Whenever you’re instructed to Increase or Decrease the Killer Wrath (shown by a red Lightning Bolt,) move up and down the Killer Wrath track the appropriate number of times. The marker will never go above 10 or below 1, so ignore any additional steps beyond those values.
Whenever you are instructed to Unleash the Killer Wrath, check the current level on the Killer Wrath card and apply any effects listed there. This may include increasing Horror, healing Inkanyamba, performing a Killer action or a combination of things.
Some cards will let you reduce the Killer Wrath, but the best way to do this is by purchasing and playing Atonement Action cards.
Atonement Action
The Atonement Action cards may be played to try and Decrease Killer Wrath or Divine Wrath (shown by a yellow Lightning Bolt if you’re playing with it). These action cards are unique as they allow for an extra success if you get three or more successes on your Horror roll, letting you reduce one of the Wrath tracks to 1.
Sacred Groves
The Sacred Groves is full of obnoxious tourists and the gods are livid about it! The Killer forges a pact with the gods, which brings forth their own Divine Wrath upon the player.
For setup, you will add the Divine Wrath card to the play area, adding a tracking marker on level 2. You will also add the Sacred Groves Bloodlust tract directly to the right of the Killer’s board, lining it up with the bottom of the Killer’s Bloodlust track. Set the Sacred Groves Finale token to the side, though you’ll only need it if the Finale is revealed. Lastly, you’ll need to add the Atonement action cards found in Inkanyamba’s section of the box.
Divine Wrath
Whenever you’re instructed to Increase or Decrease the Divine Wrath (shown by a yellow Lightning Bolt,) move up and down the Divine Wrath track the appropriate number of times. The marker will never go above 10 or below 1, so ignore any additional steps beyond those values.
Whenever you are instructed to Unleash the Divine Wrath, check the current level on the Divine Wrath card and apply any effects listed there.
Whenever Bloodlust increases, in addition to aplying any effects on the Killer board (such are increasing Horror), you must apply the effect listed on the matching line of the Sacred Groves bloodlust track, if there is one.
Some cards will let you reduce the Divine Wrath, but the best way to do this is by purchasing and playing Atonement Action cards.
If the Finale is triggered, place the Sacred Groves Finale token on top of the Finale card. During the Killer Phase, after the Killer Action is complete, you must Unleash Divine Wrath, and then increase Divine Wrath as indicated on the token.
Sacred Spaces
The last thing to be included in this map is the inclusion of Sacred spaces. The Burial Ground, Sacred Shrine and Holy Groves are all Sacred spaces. The more Victims in these Sacred spaces, the angrier the gods may become, and the higher the chance of Divine Wrath increasing.
About the Author:
You can find more of Luke’s ramblings about board games on his YouTube channel, The Game Imporium and as the host of the Bucket List Board Gamers Podcast.
