Final Girl: Carnage at the Carnival Killer Setup Guide

Before you open the Feature Film box

Carnage at the Carnival is a Feature Film expansion for Final Girl, not a standalone game. The most important setup step happens before you shuffle a single card: you need the Final Girl Core Box. The Feature Film box supplies the killer, the location, and the scenario, but it is not playable by itself. If you do not already own the Core Box, set this box aside until you do; otherwise you will be missing the shared components that every Feature Film relies on.

Once the Core Box is on the table, treat Carnage at the Carnival as a layer you add to it. The setup walkthrough below assumes both boxes are open and you are building the carnival scenario around Geppetto, the Puppet Master.

The one requirement that decides your setup

• Final Girl: Carnage at the Carnival: This Feature Film box is not playable by itself and requires you to also own the Core Box. Without the Core Box you cannot complete setup or play the scenario, so confirm you have it before sorting components.

  

Carnage at the Carnival setup walkthrough

Use this order to keep the carnival scenario organized. The steps focus on what the supplied product information supports: the Core Box dependency, the Feature Film contents, and the Geppetto premise. For exact component counts and card placement, follow the rulebook that comes with your Core Box and Feature Film.

1. Confirm the Core Box is present: Open the Core Box first and keep its shared components within reach. The Feature Film box cannot be played on its own, so this is non-negotiable.
2. Open the Carnage at the Carnival Feature Film box: Separate the carnival-specific components from the Core Box components. The Feature Film box provides the scenario content for this film; the Core Box provides the shared game framework.
3. Set the scene: the carnival as Geppetto's front: The supplied story describes the circus as a front for finding more 'new additions' to Geppetto's family. Use that premise to frame the scenario as you set out the location.
4. Place Geppetto, the Puppet Master: Geppetto wanted a family of his own and used dark rituals to make one. Set him up as the killer for this Feature Film, following the rulebook's placement for the scenario.
5. Build the player area and begin: With the Core Box framework and the carnival scenario in place, you are ready to start. The question the box poses is simple: will you survive the night in Carnage at the Carnival?

What the carnival scenario asks of you

The premise matters for how you approach the table. Geppetto is not a random monster; he is a craftsman who built a family through dark rituals and uses the circus to find new members. That framing suggests a scenario where the carnival itself is part of the trap. As you set up, think of the location as an active part of the killer's plan rather than neutral scenery.

The supplied product information does not include specific scenario rules, card counts, or difficulty ratings. Rather than guess at those details, use the rulebook included with the Feature Film and Core Box for exact setup numbers. What the product information does confirm is the core tension: a killer who wants a family, and a carnival that hides his search.

Carnage at the Carnival at a glance

• Final Girl: Carnage at the Carnival: Geppetto - The Puppet Master wanted a family of his own. Using inspiration from his favorite stories and with the help of dark rituals, he decided to make his own. This is the killer's motivation and the thematic core of the scenario you are setting up.
• Final Girl: Carnage at the Carnival: This circus is just a front to find more 'new additions' to the family. It explains why the carnival setting is central to the Feature Film rather than just a backdrop.

Setup checkpoints before your first turn

These checkpoints come directly from the supplied product information. They are the minimum you need to confirm before playing.

• Core Box owned and open: The Feature Film box is not playable by itself. If the Core Box is missing, stop here.
• Feature Film box contents separated: Keep carnival-specific components distinct from Core Box components so you can follow the rulebook cleanly.
• Geppetto placed as the killer: The Puppet Master is the antagonist for this Feature Film; set him up according to the scenario rules.
• Carnival premise in mind: Remember the circus is a front for Geppetto's search for new family members; this frames the night's tension.

When this Feature Film fits your table

Carnage at the Carnival suits players who already own the Final Girl Core Box and want a killer with a clear, unsettling motive. The carnival setting and Geppetto's puppet-family backstory give the scenario a distinctive flavor without requiring extra purchases beyond the Core Box.

If you are new to Final Girl and do not yet own the Core Box, start there first. This Feature Film is an expansion, and the supplied information does not describe a standalone mode. Once the Core Box is in hand, Carnage at the Carnival is a self-contained scenario that adds Geppetto and the carnival to your collection.