How to Set Up and Use Madness in the Dark Miniatures

By Van Ryder Games | Published: 2026-11-05

Category: How-to Guides

A step-by-step guide to swapping in the four Madness in the Dark miniatures, keeping the board readable, and prepping them for paint without losing track of tokens.

Quick answer

Treat the four Madness in the Dark miniatures as visual stand-ins, not new rules: place the killer, both Final Girls, and the vehicle exactly where their cardboard or token counterparts would sit, then keep every token and card that still drives the game.

Why the miniatures change the table, not the rules

The miniatures are a presentation upgrade. They do not add actions, stats, or scenario text. That means your setup order stays the same as a standard Madness in the Dark session; you simply swap the standee or token for the sculpt at the moment that component would enter play.

The practical benefit is readability. A killer sculpt and two distinct Final Girl figures make it easier to see who is where when the board gets crowded. The trade-off is footprint: a miniature can cover art or a placement zone that a flat token did not, so you may need to nudge it aside to read the space underneath.

When to skip the miniatures

If you play on a small table, transport the game often, or regularly play with someone who relies on flat components for clarity, the standees may serve you better. Miniatures also add setup and pack-down time because each figure has to be placed and stored carefully. Use them when the visual payoff matters more than speed.

Setup steps

Match each miniature to its card or token before you place anything: Lay the killer, both Final Girls, and the vehicle next to their corresponding cards or tokens. Confirm which Final Girl sculpt belongs to which character before the board is populated. Common mistake: assuming the two Final Girl figures are interchangeable and discovering the mix-up mid-game. If two figures look similar, set them on their matching cards first and only then move them to the board.
Place the killer miniature on the killer's current space: Put the killer sculpt exactly where the killer token or standee would go, and leave the token nearby if a rule refers to its position. Checkpoint: the killer's space should still be readable under or beside the base. Keep the original killer token within reach in case a card effect needs its exact location.
Set both Final Girl miniatures on their starting spaces: Place each Final Girl sculpt on the space her card indicates. Do not move her forward just because the figure is taller or wider than the token. Common mistake: letting a larger base overlap an adjacent space and accidentally blocking it. If a base covers a space you still need, slide the figure to the edge of its space rather than onto the neighbor.
Park the vehicle miniature where the scenario tracks it: Use the vehicle sculpt as the marker for the vehicle's position or approach track, matching whatever the scenario card shows. Checkpoint: the vehicle should not be mistaken for a character, so keep it clearly off the character spaces. If the scenario uses a track rather than a board space, place the vehicle beside the track and move it along as the track advances.
Keep all tokens, dice, and cards in play: The miniatures replace visual markers only. Leave horror tokens, item cards, and any scenario-specific counters where the rules put them. Common mistake: clearing tokens because the board looks cleaner with just sculpts. Before the first turn, scan the board for any token that a miniature has hidden and move the figure aside.
Prep for painting only after a full unpainted session: Play at least one game with the bare miniatures to learn which details matter at table distance. Then wash, dry, prime, and paint in thin layers, sealing afterward. Common mistake: priming before checking that each figure's base still fits its space. Paint the bases last so you can keep track of which figure is which during the project.

Product facts

Final Girl: Madness in the Dark Miniatures: The set contains 4 high-quality miniatures: 1 Killer, 2 Final Girl figures, and 1 Vehicle. You can replace every major character marker in the scenario at once, so no one plays with a mix of sculpts and flat tokens.
Final Girl: Madness in the Dark Miniatures