Age of Tyranny Campaign Setup: Your First Too Many Bones Campaign

By Chip Theory Games | Published: 2026-10-31

Category: How-to Guides

Learn how to set up The Age of Tyranny campaign components for Too Many Bones, track progress with the Campaign Snapshot Mat, and start your first back-to-back campaign.

Quick answer

To start a Too Many Bones campaign with The Age of Tyranny, set up the Campaign Snapshot Mat alongside your standard game, record your Gearloc and progress after each session, and carry that state into the next game as you take out Tyrants.

What the Campaign Components Add to Your Game

The Age of Tyranny is not a standalone expansion; it adds campaign components that let you link multiple Too Many Bones sessions into a continuing story. The centerpiece is the Campaign Snapshot Mat, which gives you a place to track progress from game to game. That means your decisions and outcomes carry forward, and you are not resetting to a blank slate each time you play.

Because the product page emphasizes back-to-back sessions and taking out Tyrants, plan for a campaign to span more than one sitting. The components support that continuity, but they do not replace your core Too Many Bones rules or components. You still need the base game to play.

One Common Setup Mistake to Avoid

The most common mistake is treating the Campaign Snapshot Mat as decorative or optional. If you do not record your progress on it during play, you lose the thread between sessions and the campaign becomes just a series of unrelated games. Fill it in as you go, not from memory afterward.

Step-by-step campaign setup

Set up the base game first: Complete your normal Too Many Bones setup for the player count and Gearlocs you are using. Do not add campaign components until the base game is ready. Checkpoint: the base game should be fully playable before you introduce the campaign mat.
Place the Campaign Snapshot Mat within reach: Put the mat where every player can see and write on it. It is your campaign record, so it needs to stay visible throughout play. Common mistake: putting the mat off to the side where it gets ignored during the session.
Record your starting campaign state: Before the first turn, note the Gearloc(s), the Tyrant you are pursuing, and any starting progress markers the mat provides. Use a pencil or dry-erase marker if the mat surface allows, so you can update it. Checkpoint: confirm the mat is filled in before any dice are rolled.
Play the session and update the mat as you go: Whenever you defeat a Tyrant or reach a campaign milestone, mark it on the mat immediately. Do not wait until the end of the game to reconstruct what happened. Common mistake: leaving the mat blank until the session ends, which leads to missed or incorrect progress.
Pause and store the campaign state: At the end of the session, review the mat and make sure every change is recorded. Store the mat with your game so the next session can resume from that exact state. Checkpoint: the mat should be legible and complete before you pack up.
Resume with the saved state next time: When you play again, set up the base game as usual, then place the mat and continue from your recorded progress. Do not reset the campaign unless you intend to start over. Common mistake: forgetting to bring the mat back out, which breaks the campaign continuity.

Product facts

The Age of Tyranny: Campaign Components for Too Many Bones: The Age of Tyranny includes a Campaign Snapshot Mat for tracking progress from game to game. Use the mat during each session so your Gearloc's status and defeated Tyrants carry over correctly.
The Age of Tyranny: Campaign Components for Too Many Bones