Too Many Bones

How Too Many Bones works

At the start of an adventure, the group chooses a Tyrant. That Tyrant determines the broad length and difficulty of the journey.

Each game then progresses through a sequence of days. Encounters present story choices, tests and battles. Winning or resolving encounters can award Training Points, loot and progress toward the final Tyrant fight.

The party eventually decides when it is ready to challenge the Tyrant. Waiting longer provides more opportunities to improve, but the adventure has a limited amount of time.

What happens during a day?

A normal day advances the day counter and presents the party with an encounter.

Some encounters offer meaningful choices before combat begins. Others create special battle rules, tests or rewards.

After the encounter, successful Gearlocs may receive Training Points and loot, recover and prepare for the next day.

This loop creates the game’s main rhythm: encounter → improve → encounter → improve → Tyrant.

The four Gearlocs in the original base game

The original Too Many Bones box includes four playable Gearlocs:

• Patches — support, healing and flexible survivability.
• Boomer — explosives and high-impact damage built around bomb components.
• Picket — durable defensive fighter with strong protection tools.
• Tantrum — aggressive melee Gearloc who builds and spends rage.

These are not light asymmetric powers placed over identical characters. Each Gearloc has a different skill mat, custom dice and decision structure.

How Training Points work

Training Points are the main character-progression currency.

You can normally spend them to improve core statistics or learn a new skill by taking the appropriate die and adding it to your available pool.

This creates one of the game’s central strategic tensions: reliable stats versus specialized abilities.

Extra health, dexterity and stronger attacks are broadly useful. Skill dice are more distinctive and often more powerful, but they may require careful timing or interact with specific Gearloc systems.

Health, Attack, Defense and Dexterity

Gearlocs develop several core statistics.

Health increases survivability. Attack expands offensive dice. Defense improves protection. Dexterity determines how many dice/actions you can commit during combat.

Dexterity is particularly important because a powerful skill die is useless if your build cannot afford to roll it alongside the other dice needed that round.

Why Too Many Bones is called a dice builder

The character-building system resembles deck-building, except the things you add to your personal engine are custom dice.

Each skill die represents a learned ability. As the adventure continues, your available pool expands and your possible combat sequences become more complex.

Unlike a deck-builder, you do not shuffle your whole build and hope to draw the right card. Your tactical challenge is deciding which available dice are worth spending Dexterity to roll right now.

What are Bones?

Many custom dice contain Bones faces.

A Bone often means the direct skill effect failed, but the result is not necessarily wasted. Bones can be moved into the Gearloc’s Backup Plan.

Backup Plan slots unlock special abilities once enough Bones have accumulated. You can spend them for smaller effects early or save for a stronger ability later.

This system is one of the reasons the game handles dice randomness better than a simple hit-or-miss combat system.

How the Backup Plan changes probability

The Backup Plan turns poor rolls into delayed utility.

That does not eliminate bad luck — a failed attack can still matter immediately — but it creates compensation. Several failed skill dice can set up a strong future effect.

Editorial strategy principle: when evaluating a risky die, include the value of its Bone result rather than treating every miss as zero.

How combat works

Battles take place on a compact 4×4 Battle Mat.

Gearlocs and Baddies enter the grid, establish initiative and then move, attack and use skills according to their abilities.

The small battlefield makes positioning meaningful without turning Too Many Bones into a full miniatures skirmish game. Melee range, ranged attacks, target priorities and enemy skills can all make one space matter.

What are Baddies?

Baddies are the enemies you fight during encounters.

They come in different strengths and types, represented by poker-chip-style units with their statistics and keywords printed directly on them.

Enemy skills are highly varied. Understanding keywords is a major part of learning the game because an apparently weak Baddie can become dangerous if its ability interacts badly with your party.

How Baddie Points scale difficulty

Combat encounters generate enemies using a Baddie Point system rather than a single fixed roster.

As the adventure advances and the party grows, encounters can pull stronger chips from higher-value stacks.

This lets Too Many Bones scale difficulty without requiring every encounter card to specify an exact set of monsters for every possible player count.

What are Tyrants?

Tyrants are the final bosses that define each adventure.

Choosing a Tyrant determines the overall scenario target and helps shape how long the party has to develop before the final battle.

Different Tyrants reward different preparation. A build that dominates ordinary encounters may still struggle if its key strengths do not answer the boss mechanics.

How Loot and Trove Loot work

Loot provides equipment and one-use or ongoing advantages.

Trove Loot is generally more valuable but can require additional effort before it becomes usable.

Loot is important because it can patch weaknesses without consuming the same Training Points used for stats and skills.

Is Too Many Bones good solo?

Yes. Solo play has been central to the game since its original release, which earned a 2017 Golden Geek Best Solo Board Game nomination.

Many encounters include dedicated solo text or scaling, and each Gearloc creates a substantial decision space even when controlled alone.

The main solo choice is whether to run a single Gearloc or manage multiple characters. True solo is simpler administratively; multi-Gearloc solo produces richer party synergies but adds overhead.

What is the best player count?

The official range is 1–4. BoardGameGeek community voting currently favors two players.

Solo is strong because turns remain focused. Two players add real party synergy without excessive downtime.

At three and four, team composition becomes more interesting, but battles also contain more units, more keywords and longer decision cycles.

How difficult is Too Many Bones to learn?

BoardGameGeek currently rates the complexity around 3.87/5.

The basic structure is not especially complicated. Much of the learning burden comes from Gearloc-specific dice, Baddie keywords and exceptions.

That means the game becomes substantially easier after a few plays with the same characters, even though a new Gearloc can temporarily increase the learning load again.

How much does Too Many Bones cost?

Chip Theory Games currently lists the original base game at $149.95.

The price reflects the publisher’s premium production approach: neoprene mats, custom dice, heavy chips and water-resistant cards replace many of the cardboard components common in standard retail games.

Whether that is good value depends heavily on whether you want premium components and expect to replay the same Gearlocs across many different Tyrants and encounter combinations.

Which Too Many Bones box should you buy first?

Chip Theory’s own buyer guide identifies three possible starting boxes:

• Too Many Bones — the original and broadest starting set.
• Undertow — standalone two-Gearloc box with raft mechanics.
• Unbreakable — standalone two-Gearloc box centered on The Break and lava mechanics.

For most first-time buyers, the original box is the easiest recommendation because it includes four Gearlocs and the widest baseline pool of encounters and enemies.

Too Many Bones vs Undertow

Undertow is standalone rather than a normal expansion.

It includes two Gearlocs — Duster and Stanza — and introduces raft-based battles plus Krelln and Mech enemy types.

At the current official price of $99.95, Undertow can be a cheaper entry point if its characters appeal to you, but it contains less Gearloc variety than the original box.

Too Many Bones vs Unbreakable

Unbreakable is another standalone entry box, also currently listed at $99.95.

Its featured Gearlocs are Gale and Figment, and its encounters revolve around The Break, lava and new environmental rules.

Unbreakable is a strong choice for experienced players who want newer design ideas, but the original base game remains the more representative introduction to the entire system.

Too Many Bones expansions explained

40 Days in Daelore

40 Days in Daelore is one of the simplest first expansions.

Chip Theory lists 24 General Encounters, 1 Special Encounter, 12 Solo Encounters, 3 Tyrant Encounters and 15 Baddie chips.

It expands the original game without asking you to learn a new campaign structure or character.

Age of Tyranny

Age of Tyranny adds campaign structure to a game that normally resets between Tyrants.

It is the expansion for players who enjoy the core system but want consequences, scars and boons to connect multiple adventures.

If your group prefers self-contained sessions, it is less essential than extra Gearlocs or encounter content.

Rage of Tyranny

Rage of Tyranny revisits the Tyrant side of the game.

Its purpose is not simply adding more encounters; it makes boss fights more demanding and gives veteran groups a way to refresh enemies they may already know well.

This makes it a poor first purchase but a logical later upgrade after repeated victories over the original Tyrants.

Splice & Dice

Splice & Dice is aimed at experienced players who want more difficult boss content.

It adds demanding Tyrants and a Build-a-Tyrant mode that lets players assemble custom boss challenges.

Chip Theory currently lists it at $64.95.

Are extra Gearlocs the best expansions?

For many players, yes.

A new Gearloc changes every battle and every Training Point decision because the entire skill tree and play style are different.

Chip Theory’s current product line includes many individual characters, with Trover among the newer 2026 releases.

If you already enjoy the encounter pool, buying one character whose mechanics appeal to you often creates more replay value than adding another box of cards.

40 Waves and 40 Caves

The “40” encounter expansions are tied to different standalone boxes:

• 40 Days in Daelore — focused on the original Too Many Bones.
• 40 Waves in Daelore — focused on Undertow’s raft system and Krelln/Mechs.
• 40 Caves in Daelore — focused on Unbreakable’s cave/lava environment and its enemy types.

Buy the one matching the standalone box you play most rather than assuming all three are universal.

Too Many Bones vs The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era

Too Many Bones vs Mage Knight

Both are heavy adventure games with excellent solo reputations, but their puzzles are fundamentally different.

Mage Knight: Ultimate Edition is primarily a card-efficiency and route-planning puzzle. Too Many Bones is more tactical and probabilistic, with character-specific dice and compact battles.

If you enjoy optimizing known cards, Mage Knight is the cleaner fit. If you enjoy adapting to dice while mastering one asymmetric hero, Too Many Bones is more distinctive.

Who may like Too Many Bones?

It is a strong fit for solo and cooperative players who enjoy highly asymmetric characters, tactical combat and repeated mastery of a difficult system.

It is also particularly attractive if premium physical components matter to you.

It may be less suitable if you dislike dice variance, keyword-heavy rules, expensive base boxes or games where learning a new character can feel like learning a mini-game inside the game.

Six strategy principles for new players

• Do not buy only skill dice. Reliable stats give complicated abilities room to work.
• Dexterity is action economy. A large pool of impressive dice does little if you cannot afford to roll enough of them.
• Read Baddie keywords before choosing targets. Enemy abilities often matter more than raw attack numbers.
• Value Bones correctly. A failed skill can still accelerate a powerful Backup Plan.
• Prepare for the Tyrant, not only the next encounter. A build that crushes generic enemies can still be badly matched into the final boss.
• Coordinate party roles. Two balanced solo-style builds are often weaker than two Gearlocs deliberately covering each other’s weaknesses.

Seven things to know before buying

• The original box is expensive but complete. You do not need expansions to have a substantial game.
• Undertow and Unbreakable are standalone entry points. They are not conventional expansions that require the original box.
• Extra Gearlocs often provide the most replay value.
• 40 Days, 40 Waves and 40 Caves target different base boxes.
• Age of Tyranny changes the campaign structure rather than normal combat.
• The game has a steep vocabulary curve. Expect frequent reference-sheet checks early on.
• Solo is a core strength. Do not dismiss the game because your regular group cannot commit.

Too Many Bones FAQ

How many players?

1–4 players.

How long does it take?

BoardGameGeek lists 60–120 minutes, although learning games and larger groups can run longer.

Can it be played solo?

Yes. Too Many Bones has official solo play and was nominated for the Golden Geek Best Solo Board Game award.

Who are the four base-game Gearlocs?

Patches, Boomer, Picket and Tantrum.

What are Bones?

Special miss results that can be stored in the Backup Plan and converted into Gearloc-specific abilities.

What does a Training Point do?

It normally lets you improve a stat or train a new skill die, subject to that Gearloc’s training rules.

How much is the base game?

Chip Theory Games currently lists it at $149.95.

Which box should I start with?

The original Too Many Bones is the broadest entry point. Undertow and Unbreakable are cheaper standalone alternatives with two Gearlocs each.

What expansion should I buy first?

For variety, an extra Gearloc or 40 Days in Daelore is usually easier to integrate than a campaign/challenge expansion.

Does Undertow require the base game?

No. Undertow is standalone.

Does Unbreakable require the base game?

No. Unbreakable is standalone.

Sources and scope

• Chip Theory Games: official Too Many Bones product page, current price and rules resources
• Chip Theory Games: official buyer guide covering base games, Gearlocs and expansion roles
• BoardGameGeek: ranking, rating, 1–4 players, play time, complexity and designers
• Chip Theory Games: 40 Days in Daelore contents
• Chip Theory Games: Undertow
• Chip Theory Games: Unbreakable
• Chip Theory Games: current Too Many Bones product line and expansion prices

Checked October 9, 2026. Too Many Bones is an established retail game, so this guide focuses on evergreen gameplay, solo, rules, buyer and expansion questions. Prices and stock can change. Strategy guidance and comparisons are original editorial analysis; no firsthand review or playtest is claimed. Editorial policy and corrections.