What Is an Upgrade Pack? A Guide to Chip Theory Games Upgrades

Quick answer

An upgrade pack replaces a game's original cardboard or card components with premium versions, usually heavy chips, stitched maps, or better storage. In the Chip Theory Games catalog, upgrades are optional: they improve feel and table presence but rarely change the rules. Buy one when you already own and enjoy the base game, and check requirements first because some upgrades need specific add-on characters to be useful.

Chip Theory Games builds its games around heavy chips instead of cards or cardboard tokens, so the components already feel substantial. Upgrade packs take that further: they swap out the few remaining flat pieces for chips, maps, or accessories that match the rest of the table.

That makes the upgrade line easy to misunderstand. These are not expansions with new characters or scenarios, and they are not required to play. They are comfort and durability purchases. This guide explains what each type actually changes, what it requires, and when the money is better spent elsewhere.

What an upgrade pack actually changes

Upgrade packs replace components rather than adding content. A companion that was printed on a die becomes a chip with artwork and skill reminders. A paper progress tracker becomes a stitched map. A loose pile of dice becomes a tower that keeps them on the table. The rules stay the same, so the value is in handling, readability, and how the game looks between turns.

Because nothing new is added, upgrades are the lowest-risk purchase in the catalog. If you already like the game, you will like the upgrade. If you are still deciding whether you like the game, buy the base game first. Upgrades only pay off after the base game has earned a permanent spot on your shelf.

• Upgrades change how components feel and read, not how the game plays.
• They are optional by design, so never buy one to fix a rules problem.
• Check the catalog note on each product for compatibility before ordering.

The three upgrade types in the Chip Theory catalog

Most upgrades fall into three groups: component replacements, table aids, and storage or cosmetic items. Component replacements are the closest thing to a true upgrade pack, swapping flat pieces for chips or maps. Table aids solve a physical problem, like dice leaving the table. Storage and cosmetic items organize or personalize a collection you already own.

Knowing which group a product belongs to tells you whether it will change your sessions. A component replacement is felt every turn. A table aid is felt only when the problem it solves actually happens at your table. A storage item is felt during setup and teardown, not during play.

• Component replacements: highest impact, felt every turn.
• Table aids: solve a specific physical annoyance, so buy only if you have that annoyance.
• Storage and cosmetic items: convenience and collection value, not gameplay value.

What upgrades cost and what you get

Upgrade pricing tracks the amount of material involved. Small chip replacements sit at the low end, while larger stitched maps and full accessory pieces cost more. Because these are optional extras, the catalog comparison prices are useful context: an upgrade at roughly half its comparison price is an easy add-on to an existing order, not a major purchase decision.

The trade-off is space. Chips and maps are thicker and heavier than the paper components they replace, which is good for durability but means more shelf and box volume. If your collection is already tight, measure before you commit to a large map or a full chip set.

• Compare the catalog price against the comparison price to judge value per session.
• Chips and maps take more shelf space than the components they replace.
• Bundle small upgrades with a base game order to avoid paying shipping twice.

Compatibility and requirements to check first

The most common mistake with upgrade packs is buying one that assumes content you do not own. Some upgrades only function with specific add-on characters or a specific base game, and the catalog notes say so plainly. If a requirement is not listed, treat that as unknown rather than assuming compatibility.

A second check is box fit. Some upgrades are designed to store inside a specific box, which is convenient but only if you own that box. Read the note, confirm the base game or add-on it names, and only then decide.

• Read the catalog note before buying; it lists required add-ons and box fit.
• If compatibility is not stated, ask before ordering rather than guessing.
• An upgrade that needs an add-on you do not own is not a bargain at any price.

Decision rules for buying a Chip Theory upgrade

• You already own and play the base game: Upgrades replace components, so their value scales with how often the game hits the table. If the base game is still unplayed, hold off. Buy the base game first, upgrade later.
• The upgrade names a requirement you already own: Some upgrades only work with specific add-on characters or a specific box. Confirm you own what the catalog note names before ordering. No matching add-on means no purchase.
• The upgrade solves a problem you actually have: A dice tower helps if dice leave the table. A progress map helps if the Day Counter card is hard to read. Match the fix to a real annoyance. Buy the fix, not the idea of the fix.
• The upgrade is a small add-on to an existing order: Low-cost chip replacements are easiest to justify when they ride along with a base game or expansion order rather than shipping alone. Bundle to keep the total cost sensible.

Chip Theory upgrades in the catalog

• Too Many Bones: Ally Pack: The Ally Pack replaces companion dice with chips featuring artwork and skill reminders, and it requires the Tink and Ghillie add-on Gearlocs to play. It is a strong buy only if you already own those two Gearlocs; otherwise the chips have nothing to represent at your table.
• Too Many Bones: Unbreakable Adventure Map: The edge-stitched Break Adventure Map gives you a visual way to track progress instead of using the Day Counter card, and it fits inside the Unbreakable box. It solves a readability problem every session and stores in the box you already own, which makes it one of the lowest-friction upgrades.
• Too Many Bones Collapsible Dice Tower: The collapsible tower has a red-on-black finish, magnetic flaps, and bonded leather, and it exists because dice can fly off the table mid-roll. Buy it if stray dice have actually cost you a result; skip it if your table already has enough rolling space.
• Cloudspire: Cloudspire is a base game about the floating isles of Ankar, where the energy called Source is limited and the islands begin crashing into one another, bringing factions into open war. Upgrades only make sense after the base game earns table time, so this is the purchase that comes first in the Cloudspire line.

Who should buy Chip Theory upgrades

Best for

• Players who already own and regularly play the matching base game
• Groups bothered by flat tokens, unreadable trackers, or dice leaving the table
• Collectors who want their Chip Theory shelf to look and feel consistent

Not for

• New players who have not yet decided whether they enjoy the base game
• Anyone who does not own the add-on characters or box an upgrade requires
• Players short on shelf space who prefer content expansions over component swaps

Upgrade packs are the easiest optional purchase in the Chip Theory catalog because they cannot break your game, only improve how it feels. Check the requirement note, confirm you own the matching base game or add-on, and buy the upgrade that fixes a problem you actually notice at the table. If you are still building your collection, start with the base game and add upgrades once it has earned its place.