Final Girl Review - with Mike DiLisio

[@duckduckgamed2565]

Great review. Mike DiLisio has been such a great addition to the dice tower. Always happy to see one of his reviews.

[@17thknight]

One of my favorite solo games of all time. The way it tells a story as you play is *SO GOOD*. I finished the carnival level by stealing keys from a tent, getting chased by the bad guy, stealing a golf cart, vaulting it over his minions, and ramming him to death. Like, it told a story that was insanely cool with just simple pieces and cards, but you perfectly understood what was happening. I'm so excited for part 2.

[@nathanieljames3524]

This is definitely my favorite solo game of 2021. The luck mitigation strategies are very much there, and there’s always ways to setup great combo’d actions. At the same time, the killers are all overwhelming and powerful. *Perfectly* in theme. Can’t wait for the Jan 11 Kickstarter for Season 2.

[@TimMcLaughlinNB]

Mike, want you to know that I've watched the Dice Tower since 2013 or so and you're my favourite Dice Tower contributor... not only in terms of presentation, but also in terms of opinion. Keep up the good work!

[@michaeldilisio557]

That’s very kind of you to say. Thanks so much!

[@terry3733H]

Mike's more Euro, Solo, and lighter game friendly reviewer. He speaks clearly, appreciates quirky hidden gems, has a sense of humour that isn't dismissive, a rare type in this industry. Can't say the same about some local game cafes

[@valkilmerscareer2884]

Mike is easily my favorite reviewer at Dicetower.

[@baroldalt312]

I prefer less sanitised reviews. Like Tom or Sam etc.

[@SterlingStokes]

Regarding the dice rolls... I always advise that, like in a real-life horror situation, you really need to weigh the risks of attempting something while a murderous killer is after you. I like to plan as if the bad rolls are going to happen every time. And I personally think a theme like this is where randomness is much more welcome. This is an experience game -- it's not Terra Mystica. I want jump scares. I want the killer to pop out from behind something and do some crazy stuff. I want to see a horror movie play out in front of me! I'll take the swings in these cases because of the extra thematic punch.

[@jamielwylie]

I like Hostage Negotiator and have abductor packs I haven't played, but don't think I can go back to it after playing Final Girl. As Mike said it is an improvement in every way.

[@gbdomingo]

I think I figured out why this is slightly less punishing than hostage negotiator. The terror deck in both would tend to increase horror track, weakening your dice rolls. That kinds bad, but at least here, its not as bad, coz in HN, the best thing you can do is move the terror meter to the green side as that is the best (only?) way to free hostages (without expensive cards). But here, you can "free" hostages/victims by taking them out of the camp through move actions. Also, the killer may not be in the same spot as a victim, even after moving. So, clever card play can mitigate the killing of victims. In hostage, all the hostages are in one room, they will always die if the terror card says the killer/hostage taker will kill him. Finally, the "demands" cards are not really here; those hostage taker demands can be really swingy, and can erase your progress.

[@JodouTR]

Awesome. Haven't had time to get my copy to the table but good to hear it's excellent as that was the impression I got from Rolling Solo and other outlets when they covered it back then.

[@jay_cadiramen]

Very comprehensive explanation of the rules - thanks!

[@johnberry5296]

Wow, big score! Just picked this up retail and would love to get some of Series 2.

[@ginovilleneuve6557]

Very nice professional review! thanks Mike.

[@Sajatzsiraf]

where is the Zeevil expansion???

[@dahger7]

Good job Mike. Great presentation. I'm very interested in this game because of your review.

[@warblefly81]

I don’t often say this with reviews, but I agree on all points that Mike said. Even gave it the same score, 9 out of 10. If you enjoy or want to try solo gaming, this is a great entry into it.

[@divinepixilation9172]

Will this come to retail? I can't seem to find it

[@warblefly81]

Unless it sold out, I bought it from Van Ryder’s website as I missed the original Kickstarter.

[@TiroDvD]

The more of your reviews I watch the more I appreciate "setup & teardown" part of it. It's like "footprint" or "fiddly", not super duper important but nice to know.

[@antonieschwartz]

Final Girl is great! I only now realise, watching this video, that I completely forgot that my game also came with these nice mats. I've been playing it without this whole time. Haha.

[@nobbynobbs8182]

Can't wait to receive my pledge

[@Kheossun]

loved the review :) i never played hostage negociator so i didnt understand the comparisons

[@concretetable5643]

personally I don't think reviews should use premium versions to showcase a game. Using the most common/basic version gives potential buyers a better idea about how the game looks/plays.

[@kevinbhieey9188]

They get the premium pieces for the library or the publishers just send the deluxe version out since it's going to get reviewed and why not send the best version? Either way, it's not like they send out the garbage pieces with the upgrades, so a review of those is just not possible. The only thing he could've done was not use the playmats, which I personally like. I usually do not buy playmats unless I know they'll help the experience, so I like to see them being used so I can judge whether they do or not.

[@theearlyresetband]

Played five times now- and this game is just SO good- love everything about it!!

[@baroldalt312]

Played it a couple of times, then went back to Unbroken

[@coppershark1973]

Thanks, very informative. 👍

[@shawnhilliard]

Excellent video. I think I like the theme more than the potential gameplay for this one. I tend to like more strategic survival horror games with a little bit of luck (e.g., Mansions, Nemesis, LE: Aliens, etc.) so I'm not sure I'm sold on the fact that almost every decision you make here being tied to a die roll. I enjoy the artwork but the graphic design feels unpolished. I would LOOOVE to paint this game but it being solo is another strike against it. I wish the 2nd campaign introduced the multiplayer variant :(

[@RobBernard]

I've seen better explanations of the rules that were 10 minutes longer, but this was a huge help because I went all in and also bought the mat and this was the first I'd seen with the mat. This was great for showing me how the mat worked.

[@GordonHart5678]

Thank you! One question, you touched on replay-ability being high with the different modules. There is an “all-in” pledge I’m looking at in the season 2 campaign but I’m wondering if I need all that. If I get this to the table once a month can I replay a film I played before? Or am I going to get more out of it by doing a different film/module each time? So I guess my question is what would your replayability rating be with just the base and a couple modules?

[@AnaatthiGozo]

I'm pretty sure each killer and map already has small different setups like where the victims spawn and what finale power the killers have, so one module can be replayed a few times already. As soon as you add more, you can combine any killer with any map you own, like making the butcher run wild in a carneval instead of camping grounds

[@Subangelis]

Each Feature Film has 5 different setups that you shuffle and draw. They also have 2 Final Girls each. You also can mix and match killers and locations. S1 5 killers and 5 Locations, 25 different scenarios. Multiply that by 10 Final Girls to play... Same with S2. All together is 10 killers and 10 locations, multiplied by 20 Final Girls. The replay-ability is there. I just bought the All-In pledge from an online retailer because I know I would want all the feature films, storage, accessories, etc. and buying them separate would be more expensive. S3 is going to be Kickstarted in November 2032 with 5 new killers/locations, etc.

[@mvenini]

What is the Nintendo Power in the background?

[@adamthemute]

Which feature film box is the best reviewed?

[@porqpine53]

Once I saw that KS I came right here to see if it’s something worth investing in

[@kelliealanis9485]

how's the replayability of this game? somebody help me.. I'm thinking if this will be a good solo game for me..

[@neild3163]

Didn’t see Final Girl in your top solo games or top 100 of all time. Just wondered how close Final Girl is to getting into your top 100, especially with Season 2 coming along.

[@Bleuchz]

I'm gonna be mad if there's no jump scares in this review.

[@KabukiKid]

BOO!

[@mahuloq7562]

Should do reviews of each of the feature films! I dont think we even saw the boxes you were praising so much in this video.

[@michaeldilisio557]

That’s something I’ll definitely consider.

[@mahuloq7562]

@@michaeldilisio557 Even if its one video where you rank each of the feature films and give a quick insight on what you think! Show those boxes off!

[@Yematul]

Great review. Only thing that's kind of got me shying away is dice. I don't like the randomness that Dice bring to the table. It ends up being more of a dice rolling challenge than anything else. Hopefully it's less of an issue with how they've implemented it in this game, but I won't know until I try a full game. Thanks Mike!

[@drewgrgich]

Your instincts are dead on - no pun intended. This is probably the most swingy game I've played. I might not have the right strategies for dice mitigation yet but in this game, you can set up an awesome plan and then roll like crap. It is way too easy to have things go horribly wrong horribly fast. I currently win about 1 in 5 games against Hans.

[@LegoAssassin098]

There is some mitigation, but there definitely is randomness that is inherent to the system. If you're concerned, I'd see if you can try a friend's copy or may buy the core box and 1 feature film. You'll probably get a decent return on it if you dont like it

[@mickelboy182]

I feel like the randomness is actually a feature rather than a bug. Shit goes wrong in slasher films all the time and to me it makes the theme sing all the more. Yes there is randomness that can cost you but that doesn't make the game devoid of interesting decisions. Spirit Island is arguably my favourite game of all time and is incredibly deterministic. I still think Final Girl is an excellent design.

[@Yematul]

mickelboy182 yea I hear you, and I’m not opposed to it. I just prefer the randomness of something other than dice for some reason. They just feel so.. simple? I’d much rather the randomness of a deck draw, or even a grab bag. Dice just feel outdated to me. Haha. I’m sure the game is great and I’d love to play it. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not bashing the game at all. It looks fantastic. It was just my two cents.

[@kevinbhieey9188]

@@mickelboy182 There's swinginess and then there's SWINGINESS. I feel Hostage Negotiator is definitely the latter. You can literally be one step from winning and get a horrible dice roll that you cannot successfully mitigate and you're done. I stopped playing last time that happened, though part of that was still about needing some decent rolls early in the game to be able to even progress. I'm not really seeing enough here that helps mitigate bad luck even more, but I'm keeping my mind open...

[@ironpalmmonk1199]

Definitely want to try but might have to be second printing. Selling like hot cakes! My only gripe is the dice rolling. I hated it so much in Hostage Negotiator. Plan all you want, if you consistently roll bad you're not going to have a fun time.

[@LegoAssassin098]

They already are creating season 2 for KS next year, so I bet you'd be able to find this season as well

[@ironpalmmonk1199]

@@LegoAssassin098 If I'm not mistaken, it's for next month. Sure there might be a super bundle of sorts. I'd really just like to try one feature box set at a time vs. going all-in. Solely for the fact the dice rolling put me off in Hostage.

[@mvenini]

But isn't that a point of a game sometimes? Like sometimes things just don't go your way, and it creates opportunities to take more risks. I think sometimes there's needs to be a balance with strategy and luck. Life is both.

[@ironpalmmonk1199]

@@mvenini Oh for sure, I recognize that. If anything, at least for Hostage, it really captured the instability theme and how quickly things can take a turn. Gameplay wise...aside from one card that allows you to re-roll there was little in the way to reward planning. Hell the worse feeling is pulling off getting multiple dices just for all four to fail. It might have been remedied with expansions or even here in Final Girl but even the reviewer mentioned how much luck is still involved.

[@arcanevision1]

@@ironpalmmonk1199 the nice thing about that reroll card here is it let's you reroll all your dice.

[@crax83]

It looks great, but I'm way to lazy to set up a game with this level of complexity just to play with myself. I think it would also work great converted to a mobile game, just like with elder sign.

[@LegoAssassin098]

Final girl is actually a game that I don't know if I'd have purchased if I didn't participate in the Jack Vasel Memorial Auction a couple of years ago. I decided to bid (and win) on an all-in pledge for Hostage Negotiator: Career as I was interested in it from seeing Liz Davidson's video on it. I really enjoyed that experience and when they announced final girl, I went all in on that too. It is definitely more gamer-y than HN was and some of the issues are still present (i.e. if you don't like randomness you may not like this), they definitely delivered on the improvement of the system. It is more thematic, FAR more replayable and it does more with the system. Still not everyone's cup of tea, but enjoyable nonetheless. And I very much suggest going all in - at least get the other feature films. I also personally think the miniatures add to the theme of the product. They're fairly small and you don't need another box for them once you organize them into the feature films. I Recommend. If you like Hostage negotiator, you'll like this one. If you didn't like it, I do recommend trying it out especially if you have a friend the owns it

[@wildestnacatl]

Thinking about picking this up at PAX. For anyone who has played it, any recommendations on which scenario(s) to get?

[@bradschonauer562]

Love the poltergeist one and Hans and dr nightmare

[@ShunyValdez]

Here's my opinion: Get Inkanyamba or Dr Freight first. Here's some description of the different killers to help you decide. I played all of them once and Geppetto around 4 times. 1. Inkanyamba. You need to manage one additional resource (two with it's included map). What I find great playing against them is that each turn is a big decision on what to prioritize. As a bonus, the box's map had me facepalming on what the victims are up to. It's almost slapstick comedy. 2. Dr Freight. I love this Killer's mechanic. He's basically Freddy Krueger and you need to manage when you go to the dream world or when to stay awake. 3. Hans is the most straightforward. He's slow, but hits like a truck. Basically Jason. 4. Geppetto can quickly change the situation with his puppets. You think you're safe when suddenly, a terror card plays that ruins your plans. 5. Poltergeist can't be killed, so you'll be focusing on getting to the right place at the right time. I heard from discord that this is hardest Killer because she can ignore movement rules. I haven't decided if I like her or not. I also recommend the Vignette, Terror from Above, if you can. This one doesn't come with a map and you're be trying to survive flocks of birds that keeps coming. It's a great change of pace. (Since this is an opinion, feel free to get other scenarios it you think it fits your play preference more)

[@mahuloq7562]

I think its always Hans first, you want that vanilla with any other spice you get.

[@anarchist_parable]

It's a great game for theme-lovers. I have to remember not to get swept up in how I feel about the films long enough to remember that the mechanics are a bit clunky. Rolling to move is not it.

[@pnutbutrncrackers]

Nicely reviewed as always, Mike. Apparently I am one of the few who feels it worth mentioning that I find the game's 'slasher' theme unappealingly grim. I understand that most people joke and make light of it, but the imagery of bloodstains and knives for stabbing, sledgehammers for bludgeoning, etc. -- it's just over my personal line. Nothing personal, but I'll be passing on this one.

[@ShayLaRae75]

Hi Mike. I'm a bit confused. I went to buy this on kickstarter but I guess you can only do that during specified times. I'm clearly new to this. Can you direct me to where I can find the core game with all it's expansions, if not on Kickstarter? My husband just told me he wants this and I want to get it for him for Christmas but can't find it.

[@ShayLaRae75]

Have you ever heard of "The Game Steward?" If so, what do you think? Trustworthy to purchase from?

[@ralelunar]

This is one of those games that I wish had a uniform artist. A couple of the modules have fantastic artwork but the others aren't as good.

[@Valentinocheat]

I actually like that about it - each set having its own look fits nicely with the idea of it being different horror franchises, for me.

[@ralelunar]

@@Valentinocheat Definitely, it's a great idea. I just think that some of the art is subpar.

[@Subangelis]

Win/Loss Condition: There is a very rare occurrence where both you and the killer die (e.g. Both you and the killer are down to your last health. Killer attacks you and you play retaliate). If this happens, it is considered a win, for you sacrificed your life to get rid of this sadistic killer from the world.

[@antonieschwartz]

Regarding the storage solution, I disagree slightly with it being an "economic use of components". I will definitely agree that it's very cleverly designed, but I found it fiddly and taking up too much shelf space. I got rid of the boxes and fit everything (except the mats) into one Root sized box.

[@LegoAssassin098]

I get what you're saying. I like the storage system (even if it's slightly annoying that it struggles with sleeved cards) Ihough I hope that when they're done with the series, that they will make a case for the boxes in the vein of (but better than) the matchbox collection so it's one piece together.

[@bgm-1961]

@@LegoAssassin098 Game Plus sleeves fit the inserts perfectly.

[@Valentinocheat]

@@LegoAssassin098 For the next Kickstarter they've confirmed they'll be doing a big box storage solution for everything

[@markwensnahan2128]

I really wish that the review would use the components that I'm likely to be able to buy. I didn't do Kickstarter so I don't have access to the fancy mats and whatnot. So what am I going to get if I buy it now?

[@markwensnahan2128]

Regarding how setup is aided by everything having its place, this appears to at least in part be because of using Kickstarter mats. I understand this comment is at least in part about the arrangement of the box but while in play it looks like Kickstarter material makes this game easier to play. This is why I don't like reviews that are based on Kickstarter material. What is the game like to play if you don't have the mats?

[@michaeldilisio557]

I made a point of mentioning what were add-ons during the overview, specifically the play mats and the miniatures. I also made a point of mentioning during the review that while those aspects of the game are nice, they absolutely are not essential to the game experience. If you buy the game now, you’d get everything seen here with the exception of play mats and the two miniatures would instead be wooden Meeples.

[@Qshafe]

The only two things in this entire review you don't get are the Matt's and the miniatures. They literally don't change a single thing about the game, so everything he said about everything else is valid.

[@die-cry-hate]

Is this game going to retail?

[@johnnboy2000]

Yes you can buy all the components on Van Riders website right now

[@JasonSmithPsychedelicTherapist]

Theme is so good... but having to roll just to see if you 'walk' successfully is something I don't like. Same with searching. I either search or I don't. Idk. Such a cool game but those damn die rolls can really ruin it.

[@mje80x]

If it’s a fully realized vision, how isn’t it a 10/10.. where’s the other point supposed to come from?

[@stormy7722]

Art is VERY reminiscent of Walking Dead comic.

[@muskyoxes]

I can't get behind the theme of rescuing idiots. I want to just be facing down a terrifying villain in desperate circumstances. Shepherding isn't a part of horror movies, and it even breaks the definition of "final girl". Three points for the name "camp happy trails" though.

[@mahuloq7562]

I mean most final girls do try to save their compatriots.

[@muskyoxes]

@@mahuloq7562 But the model of "you four come with me. Okay you're safe. Now i'm going back in for four more" is a lot less fun and thematic than "you four be careful. Oh, you won't listen" and then they're dead

[@baroldalt312]

Yes when you think about it, the game doesn't fit the trope.

[@purple54997]

I thought this was a review for the movie The Final Girl -_-

[@matt4hire]

The one thing that irks me with this (and this is mostly a marketing thing) is that I have to buy a core set that…doesn’t have anything to actually play a full game with! I have to buy a quote-unquote “expansion” to play! Nnnnot great.

[@labyfan1313]

Yeah I thought that was weird. It should come with one game at least.

[@kevinbhieey9188]

Considering the lowest level of the Kickstarter included one Feature, you're complaining about something that isn't factual. If you didn't go all in, you even got to pick which Feature (s) you wanted, which is actually a good thing. It hasn't made it to retail yet so if they sell a core box without any Features in it, then feel free to complain.

[@bgm-1961]

@@kevinbhieey9188 I agree with Kevy B... I suspect that when the game hits retail, it will likely be packaged with the Hans/Camp Happy Trails Feature Film + it's two Final Girls.

[@labyfan1313]

@@kevinbhieey9188 They have this at my game store now and it's the core box separate it says you need to buy one of the features to play.

[@martysmovies7892]

It does however mean you can choose the feature film boxes you want and not be lumped with the one they decided was going to be the most generically popular.

[@seansmith2650]

the fact that they sell a core box that comes with nothing you can play is absolute trash.

[@hallking7441]

This is ridiculously over complicated for the theme.

[@mahuloq7562]

??? Its a pretty simple game, and what does that even mean?

[@robertbouley7697]

@@mahuloq7562 That he’s confused but doesn’t want it to be his fault.

[@tinymutantsquid]

I don't know, I find girls pretty complicated.

[@mickelboy182]

It really isn't very complicated, there's a system to learn but it certainly isn't a heavy game

[@baroldalt312]

Most over-rated solo game.