Too Many Bones: Board Game Buying Guide and Expansions
Considered a quintessential dice-rolling RPG by many long-term tabletop gamers, Chip Theory Games’ Too Many Bones is a deeply strategic and difficult fantasy game that can be enjoyed solo or with up to four players. Brimming with flavor and lore, it has players choose a unique Gearloc from the land of Daelore and optimize their builds as they fight through endless daily encounters with baddies, gain progress points, store bones, and ultimately defeat the Tyrant of the current story mission. This game is very dice heavy, with over 100 unique skill dice to attack, defend, and complete encounters with. You even make narrative decisions with them.
A fairly challenging game, Too Many Bones offers a ton of replay value through its unique classes and abilities, mechanical changes, additional Gearlocs, and sheer number of encounters, making checking out the expansions well worth your while.
The Base Game
Too Many Bones: A Dice Builder RPG
Price: $159.95Players: 1-4 playersAge Range: 14+Play Time: 60-90 minutes
First released in 2017, the base game includes everything one (or four) players will need to enjoy their first dice-builder RPG. The awesome neoprene character mats that are included help keep track of your Gearloc’s stats and store your dice, and the chips and cards help you through encounters. Setup is relatively simple, as each player will start by choosing their own unique Gearloc to play as and build out. Then daily encounters begin, where you’ll earn progress points for each successful encounter. Earn enough progress points, and the party will face off against the Tyrant associated with that scenario. Defeat the Tyrant to win.
Expansions
Too Many Bones Undertow Standalone Expansion
Price: $109.95
Too Many Bones’ first expandalone*, released in 2018, sees the Gearloc heroes chasing after the dastardly Duster after defeating the original seven Tyrants. This enormous expansion includes new baddies and baddie types, an equally exorbitant amount of dice as the original, new encounters, and two new characters.
*Expandalone here refers to the fact that Undertow is playable straight out of the box without the base game, although adding to it will make for a better experience overall.
Too Many Bones: Unbreakable Standalone Expansion
Price: $107
The second expandalone came out in 2023 and serves as the conclusion to the Too Many Bones storyline, which features a new cast of Gearlocs as they battle for The Break, an underground cavern that could change the fate of Daelore. Unbreakable also includes two new playable Gearlocs, new baddies and encounters, and a gorgeous double-sided Lava Battle Mat to immerse yourself in.
Too Many Bones: 40 Days in Daelore Expansion
Price: $33.95
Not a full expansion like the Undertow and Unbreakable, 40 Days in Daelore adds – you guessed it – 40 new encounters and 15 new baddies to the base Too Many Bones game.
Too Many Bones: Rage of Tyranny Expansion
Price: $33.95
Another smaller expansion that changes mechanics for the Tyrants from the base game as well as Undertow. Includes over 50 new Tyrant and encounter cards.
Too Many Bones: 40 Waves in Daelore Expansion
Price: $33.95
This one is made to alter the mechanics of Undertow, and includes 40 new encounter cards and 16 baddie chips.
Too Many Bones: 40 Caves in Daelore Expansion
Price: $33.95
Noticing a pattern? This small expansion is the same concept as 40 Waves in Daelore, but for the Unbreakable expandalone. Neat!
Too Many Bones: Age of Tyranny Expansion
Price: $33.95
This add-on to the base game brings with it a challenging new twist. Using the Campaign Snapshot Mat, players can now keep track of their campaign progress as they defeat the seven original Tyrants, earning new Boons (or Scars, if they’re defeated!), adding even more replay value.
Too Many Bones: Splice and Dice Expansion
Price: $64.95
If you’ve ever wanted to create your own Tyrant, here’s your chance. As they play through a regular game of Too Many Bones, players can now use the Build-a-Tyrant mode to craft their own creature to defeat at the end of the scenario. Additionally, the Nobulous Apprenticeship Program is a brand new game type using components from both the base game and Splice & Dice.
Additional Gearlocs
In addition to the traditional expansions, Too Many Bones also offers numerous other playable Gearlocs to add to your collection!
Ghillie
Price: $33.95
Specializing in ranged attacks and trapping, Ghillie is great for dealing damage from afar and hindering baddies. Compatible with the Ally Pack, which adds six chips for both Ghillie’s pets and Tink’s spiderbots.
Static
Price: $33.95
The first hand-to-hand rumbler in the game, Static can store his power for a turn and unleash devastating power the next.
Polaris
Price: $33.95
Like her namesake implies, Polaris uses the power of magnetism to take down baddies. Using her Trajectory Board, Polaris is extremely versatile.
Carcass
Price: $33.95
A unique and mechanically-complex Gearloc, Carcass scavenges the remains of defeated baddies and can turn them into buffs for the party.
Nugget
Price: $29.95
Nugget the treasure hunter is a fun Gearloc for players who like risk. Sporting both ranged and melee combat potential, Nugget’s arsenal is great for tactically-minded players.
Tink
Price: $33.95
High risk and high reward, Tink enters the fray with his signature spiderbots, which can help defend the party. Compatible with the Ally Pack, giving his spiderbots their own chips.
Gasket
Price: $33.95
Gasket the Hydro-Mech is Too Many Bone’s answer to traditional tank roles, and with his water-based abilities he can even change the layout of the battlefield.
Dart
Price: $29.95
Too Many Bone’s first double-sided Gearloc, Dart starts out calm and collected, but her angered side is a force to be reckoned with. Heavy on the crowd control, Dart is essential to any party.
Lab Rats
Price: $29.95
The game’s first multi-Gearloc character (characters?). Swap between Slank, Gerbil, Flan, and Helix and use their unique stats and abilities to experience a mind-melting challenge unlike the rest.
Premium Game Pieces
The base game and its expandalones come with everything you need to play straight out of the box, but sometimes you want to spice up your play space or go full-on immersion.
Control ‘Ur Roll Dice Tray: TMB Unbreakable – $14.95 – In any dice-builder RPG, odds are you’ve rolled off the table and had to search far and wide for your dice. With this 9in. x 10in. Foldable dice tray, you’ll never lose ‘em again!Adventure Map 2.0 – $17.95- This beautiful neoprene playmat is used for campaign tracking in both the base game and the Undertow expandalone. Unbreakable Adventure Map – $19.95 – This double-sided mat helps keep track of your progress throughout Unbreakable, and features a map of Daelore on one side and South Daelore on the other.Premium Health – $33.95 – These beautifully polished, weighted health pieces act as your chips and are easier to move about the map with, and harder to knock over! Includes 65 pieces. BrassMag Figures – $99.95 – Replace your dinky little Gearloc chips and show off your build in style with these weighted figures featuring every available Gearloc! The miniatures attach magnetically to their corresponding Gearloc’s chip, making it easier to keep track of them.
Other Goodies
These goodies aren’t needed to play the game, but who wouldn’t want Too Many Bones’ fantastic art on display?
Too Many Bones Chip Coasters: Original Gearlocs and Baddies – $16.95 – If you’re like me, you probably enjoy the occasional drink or two while tabletop gaming. Do so in style with these oversized chip coasters, featuring the art of the original Gearlocs and baddies!Bones Coffee: Liquid Life and Obendark Roast – $14.99 – That’s right, Too Many Bones themed coffee. In collaboration with Bones Coffee, these special brews are a delicious add-on to your gaming experience, and each bag comes with a unique coffee-themed Loot card and a random promo Gearlock skeleton chip.
The Bottom Line
I’ll be the first to admit that, as board games go, the barrier to entry to get the full Too Many Bones experience is uncompromisingly high, with even the base game being over $100. But over time, you just might get addicted to its strategic RPG gameplay and be craving the new mechanics from the expandalones, or want to try out a different Gearloc’s unique skills with one of the many add-ons available. You’ll definitely be getting your money’s worth.
Myles Obenza is a freelance commerce writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter @Myles Obenza.
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