How to Store and Organize Your Too Many Bones Collection

Quick answer

Sort your Too Many Bones collection by component type first, then by expansion. Store chips in a compartmented case, keep dice in a dedicated tower or tray, and protect cards in a box organizer. Add playmats to define play zones and reduce table clutter. Label everything so setup and teardown stay fast.

Too Many Bones is a game of chips, dice, cards, and mats, and once your collection grows past the base game, storage stops being about one box. The goal is simple: find any component in under a minute, protect the pieces that wear out, and make setup fast enough that you actually play.

This guide walks through a storage and organization system you can build in an afternoon. It uses the components you already own plus a few Chip Theory Games accessories that solve specific problems, like dice flying off the table and playmats sliding around.

Start by sorting every component into four groups

Empty the boxes and sort everything into four piles: chips, dice, cards, and boards or mats. This first pass is not about finding a permanent home. It is about seeing how much of each component type you own across the base game and expansions. Most storage problems come from mixing types in one box, which makes setup slower and hides missing pieces.

Once sorted, count your Gearloc dice, Baddie chips, and encounter cards. If a pile is large enough that you cannot hold it in two hands, it needs its own container. Write the count on a sticky note and keep it with the pile. That number becomes your checklist when you put everything away after a game night.

• Common mistake: sorting by expansion instead of by component type. Expansion boxes are not storage systems, and mixing chips with cards in the same bag leads to bent cards.
• Checkpoint: every chip, die, and card should be in exactly one pile before you buy any organizer.

Choose chip storage that fits your play frequency

Chips are the heaviest and most numerous component in Too Many Bones. For a small collection, a compartmented plastic craft case with adjustable dividers works well and costs little. For a large collection, a stackable chip case or a dedicated box organizer with vertical slots keeps chips separated by type and makes them easy to pull out.

The tradeoff is weight and space. A hard case protects chips better but takes up shelf room. A soft bag is lighter and cheaper but offers less edge protection. If you travel with your collection, prioritize a hard case. If your games stay home, a compartmented case plus a shelf is usually enough.

• Keep Baddie chips separate from Gearloc chips. Mixing them slows down encounter setup more than any other mistake.
• Label each compartment with a label maker or painter's tape. You will forget which chips go where after a few weeks.

Solve dice storage and table containment together

Dice are the easiest component to lose and the most likely to roll off the table. A dice tray keeps rolls contained, but a dice tower adds a consistent roll and doubles as a storage piece when it collapses. The Too Many Bones Collapsible Dice Tower is a good example: it has a red-on-black finish, magnetic flaps, and bonded leather, and it folds down when the game is over.

For storage, keep each player's dice in a small drawstring bag or a compartmented tray. Do not store loose dice in the same bin as chips, because the weight of the chips can crack dice over time. If you own multiple Gearlocs, bag each set separately and label the bag with the character name.

• Common mistake: storing dice loose in a large bin. They settle at the bottom and get scratched by chips.
• Checkpoint: shake each dice bag. If you hear loose rattling, the bag is too big and the dice are not protected.

Protect cards and small tokens in a box organizer

Cards bend, and small tokens disappear. A box organizer with card wells and token compartments solves both problems. Look for an organizer that fits sleeved cards if you sleeve your encounter and loot decks. If you do not sleeve, a simple card well with a lid is enough. Keep tokens in shallow trays so you can see them without dumping the whole tray.

The main decision is whether to use a custom insert or a generic one. Custom inserts fit the original box and often hold expansions, but they can be expensive and may not fit after you add more content. Generic organizers are cheaper and adjustable, but they may not fill the box, which lets components slide around during transport.

• Store cards vertically if the organizer allows it. Vertical storage puts pressure on the card edges, not the faces, which reduces bowing.
• Keep a small 'misc' tray for tokens that do not have a home yet. Review it after each game and move anything you did not use.

Use playmats to define zones and reduce clutter

Playmats are not just for looks. They define where the Battle Mat, Baddies, and Encounters go, which makes setup faster and keeps components from sliding on a bare table. The Too Many Bones Double-Sided Playmat is a 34 x 48 mat designed for cooperative games, with room for Gearloc mats, loot, dice, and upgrades like the Adventure Mat. For solo and two-player games, the Too Many Bones 1-2 Player Modular Mat Pack gives each player a mat for their Gearloc, loot, and dice, plus a final mat that anchors the Battle Mat and Baddies.

If you use an Adventure Map, check that it fits your box before you commit to a storage layout. The Too Many Bones: Unbreakable Adventure Map is edge-stitched and fits in the Unbreakable box, which means you can store it with the expansion instead of leaving it on the shelf.

• Roll playmats with the artwork facing outward. Folding them creates creases that never fully flatten.
• Store mats in a tube or a dedicated mat bag. A tube takes less shelf space than a flat stack.

Label, test, and adjust your system

After you build the system, run a timed setup. Set a timer and see how long it takes to get from box to first turn. If setup takes more than ten minutes, something is in the wrong place. Move the components you touch first to the top of the box or the front of the shelf. Move the components you touch last to the bottom.

Label every container on the top and the side. Top labels help when boxes are stacked. Side labels help when boxes are on a shelf. Use a label maker or painter's tape and a marker. If you change the contents, change the label immediately. An unlabeled box is a box you will avoid opening.

• Common mistake: labeling only the top. If you stack boxes, you cannot read the top label of the bottom box.
• Checkpoint: a friend should be able to find the Baddie chips in under thirty seconds using only your labels.

Your seven-step storage setup

1. Sort by component type: Empty every box and make four piles: chips, dice, cards, and boards or mats. Do not sort by expansion yet. Checkpoint: every component is in exactly one pile.
2. Count and note each pile: Write down how many chips, dice, and cards you have. Use the count as a checklist when you put the game away. If a pile is too big to hold in two hands, it needs its own container.
3. Pick chip storage: Use a compartmented case for a small collection or a stackable chip case for a large one. Keep Baddie chips separate from Gearloc chips. Common mistake: mixing chip types in one bin.
4. Bag dice by Gearloc: Put each character's dice in a labeled drawstring bag. Store the bags away from heavy chips. Checkpoint: no loose rattling when you shake a bag.
5. Set up card and token storage: Use a box organizer with card wells and shallow token trays. Store cards vertically if possible. Keep a small misc tray for tokens without a home.
6. Add playmats for zones: Use the 1-2 Player Modular Mat Pack for solo and two-player games, or the Double-Sided Playmat for cooperative games. Roll mats, do not fold them. Checkpoint: every play zone has a defined mat.
7. Label and time a setup: Label containers on the top and side. Run a timed setup and move frequently used components to the top of the box. If setup takes more than ten minutes, adjust your layout.

Accessories that solve specific storage problems

• Too Many Bones Collapsible Dice Tower: Red-on-black finish, magnetic flaps, bonded leather, and it collapses for storage. Keeps dice on the table during play and folds flat so it does not take up shelf space between game nights.
• Too Many Bones: Unbreakable Adventure Map: Edge-stitched and fits in the Unbreakable box. Tracks progress visually and stores with the expansion, so you do not need a separate home for it.
• Too Many Bones: 1-2 Player Modular Mat Pack: Modular playmats for solo and two-player games, with two player mats for Gearloc mat, loot, and dice, plus a final mat that anchors the Battle Mat, Baddies, and Encounters. Defines play zones for small player counts and reduces table clutter, which makes setup and teardown faster.
• Too Many Bones Double-Sided Playmat: 34 x 48 double-sided playmat for cooperative games, with room for Gearloc mats, loot, dice, and upgrades like the Adventure Mat. Gives the whole party a defined play area and keeps components from sliding on a bare table.

A good storage system is the one you actually maintain. Start with the four-pile sort, solve chips and dice first, then add organizers and playmats as your collection grows. Label everything, time your setup, and adjust until game night starts faster than it ends.