Chip Theory Games Accessories: What's Worth Buying?

Quick answer

Buy accessories that remove a friction point you actually feel at the table, not the ones that merely look good in photos. For most Too Many Bones owners, the best first purchases are Too Many Bones: Premium Health and one or two character expansions such as Too Many Bones: Nugget (The Treasure Hunter), while Too Many Bones: Gearloc BrassMag Miniatures are a luxury upgrade for players who want tactile, magnetic figures. Skip collectibles like the Too Many Bones Enamel Pin (Nugget) unless you enjoy the display side of the hobby.

Chip Theory Games sells a lot of extras, and the catalog mixes genuinely useful upgrades with pure fun. The trick is separating accessories that change how a game plays from accessories that change how it looks on your shelf.

This guide walks through the main accessory and upgrade types with concrete rules for when each one earns its place. It focuses on Too Many Bones because that is where most of the accessory range lives, but the same logic applies to other Chip Theory titles.

Start With the Friction, Not the Shelf

Before buying anything, play three or four sessions and note what annoys you. Is it health tracking that feels fiddly? Characters that all play the same? A table that looks flat and lifeless? Each complaint points to a different accessory category, and buying in that order prevents a drawer full of unused extras.

The most common friction point in Too Many Bones is health tracking. If you find yourself nudging standard chips or losing track of values mid-fight, a premium health set is the highest-value upgrade you can make. If instead you want more variety in how characters play, expansions deliver that far more than any cosmetic add-on.

• Write down one annoyance after each session for a week before you buy.
• Prioritize upgrades that fix a repeated problem over one-time visual treats.

Miniatures: When the BrassMag Upgrade Makes Sense

Too Many Bones: Gearloc BrassMag Miniatures replace flat standees with metallic figures that sit on your Gearloc chips. The appeal is tactile: they add weight and presence to the table, and the magnetic connection keeps them from sliding around during play. If you already enjoy painting or displaying miniatures, this is the accessory that most changes how the game feels in your hands.

The trade-off is cost and storage. These are the priciest accessory in the range, and they add bulk to your box. If you play mostly at home with a dedicated table, that is fine. If you haul Too Many Bones to game nights in a backpack, measure your storage first, because miniatures need more room than flat tokens.

• Buy these if you want a more physical, toy-like table presence.
• Skip them if portability or budget is your main constraint.

Premium Health Chips: The Upgrade Most Players Feel Immediately

Too Many Bones: Premium Health replaces your standard health chips with heavier, polished chips that are harder to knock over. That single change reduces the small accidents that interrupt a fight, and the weight makes tracking health faster because chips stay where you put them.

One important limitation: the Too Many Bones box does not accommodate both standard and premium health chips, so this is a replacement rather than an addition. If you keep your standard chips as a backup, plan a separate storage spot. For players who log a lot of sessions, this is usually the first upgrade worth buying.

• Best first upgrade for frequent players.
• Remember it replaces, not supplements, your standard health chips.

Character Expansions: More Play, Less Clutter

Character expansions are the accessories that most directly extend play time. Too Many Bones: Nugget (The Treasure Hunter) adds a character who switches between melee and ranged combat, which changes how you position and plan turns. Too Many Bones: Polaris (The Geologist) brings a metal-orb arsenal with radiation and trepanation effects, giving you a very different tactical puzzle.

These are compact additions: each comes with a character mat, Gearloc chip, and skill set, so they store easily alongside your base game. If your group has played the core characters to death, one or two expansions refresh the game more than any cosmetic accessory.

• Pick expansions when your complaint is repetition, not table feel.
• Two characters usually add more replay value than one large cosmetic upgrade.

Enamel Pins and Collectibles: Buy for Joy, Not Utility

The Too Many Bones Enamel Pin (Nugget) is a small, inexpensive collectible designed for backpacks, jackets, and pin boards. It does not change gameplay at all, and that is fine. Collectibles like this are for players who enjoy showing off their favorite Gearloc between sessions.

The honest rule is simple: if you like pins, buy them; if you are trying to improve your games, put the money toward health chips or a character expansion instead. Treating collectibles as decoration rather than an upgrade keeps your expectations accurate.

• Collectibles are display items, not gameplay improvements.
• Buy them after your practical upgrades are covered.

How to Sequence Your Accessory Purchases

A sensible order for most Too Many Bones owners is: premium health chips first, then one or two character expansions, then miniatures if you want the tactile upgrade, and collectibles last. That order front-loads the changes you feel every session and defers the ones you only notice when the box is open.

If you own multiple Chip Theory games, apply the same logic per game. An accessory only earns its place if it solves a problem in a game you actually play often. A beautiful upgrade for a title that hits the table twice a year is a worse buy than a modest upgrade for your weekly game.

• Upgrade your most-played game first.
• Delay cosmetic purchases until practical ones are done.

Decision Rules for Buying Chip Theory Accessories

• If health tracking feels fiddly: Buy Too Many Bones: Premium Health before any cosmetic upgrade. It directly reduces chip bumps and speeds up bookkeeping. Highest practical return for frequent players.
• If your group is bored with the core characters: Add one or two character expansions such as Too Many Bones: Nugget (The Treasure Hunter) or Too Many Bones: Polaris (The Geologist) before buying miniatures. Variety beats visuals when repetition is the problem.
• If you want a more tactile table: Consider Too Many Bones: Gearloc BrassMag Miniatures, but check your storage space and budget first because they are the priciest and bulkiest accessory. Buy for feel, not for gameplay advantage.
• If you only want to show off your favorite Gearloc: A collectible like the Too Many Bones Enamel Pin (Nugget) is a low-cost, zero-gameplay purchase. Buy it for fun, not as an upgrade. Collectibles last in the buying order.

Accessory Facts Worth Knowing

• Too Many Bones: Premium Health: These premium health chips are heavier and polished, and they replace your standard health chips because the Too Many Bones box does not accommodate both sets. If you want a sturdier, harder-to-knock-over health tracker, this is the upgrade to buy first, but plan separate storage for your old chips.
• Too Many Bones: Gearloc BrassMag Miniatures: These metallic miniatures attach magnetically to the heavy-duty Gearloc chips, replacing the flat Gearloc figures with standing figures. They add weight and table presence, but they cost more and take up more storage space than flat tokens, so they suit home players more than frequent travelers.
• Too Many Bones: Nugget (The Treasure Hunter): Nugget can switch between melee and ranged combat, using a bolo, dagger, and longblade up close or slinging stones from range. This versatility makes her a strong pick if you want a character who changes how you approach positioning and target selection.
• Too Many Bones: Polaris (The Geologist): Polaris wields metal orbs and uses radiation and trepanation effects, and comes with the standard Gearloc character mat, chip, and skills. She offers a distinct tactical style for players who want a very different feel from the core characters without buying a full new game.

Who Should Buy Chip Theory Accessories

Best for

• Players who log regular Too Many Bones sessions and want faster, sturdier health tracking
• Groups that have worn out the core characters and want new tactical styles
• Home players who value tactile, display-friendly components and have storage space

Not for

• Players who mainly want new content and should buy expansions or base games instead
• Frequent travelers who need a compact, portable setup
• Shoppers looking for a gameplay advantage from cosmetic items like pins

Buy the accessory that fixes a problem you feel every session, then add the fun stuff once the practical upgrades are in place. For most Too Many Bones owners that means premium health chips first, character expansions second, and miniatures or collectibles when you want to treat yourself.