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Too Many Bones: Undertow box art

Too Many Bones: Undertow

Game ID: GID0360503
Game Info
Year
2018
Players
1-2
Collection
Your Tier
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Description

Join new playable Gearloc characters Stanza and Duster as they journey down the Sibron River in search of answers in this standalone expansion/sequel to Too Many Bones!

Too Many Bones: Undertow allows for 1-2 players out of the box, but by bringing in additional Gearlocs from the original game or adding in characters like Ghillie, Nugget, and Tink, you can create an adventure for up to four players. Undertow features all new baddies, encounters, tyrants, and a double-sided battle mat. Battles take place both on land and on your raft, adding even more variety and brain-bending tactics.

Description

Join new playable Gearloc characters Stanza and Duster as they journey down the Sibron River in search of answers in this standalone expansion/sequel to Too Many Bones!

Too Many Bones: Undertow allows for 1-2 players out of the box, but by bringing in additional Gearlocs from the original game or adding in characters like Ghillie, Nugget, and Tink, you can create an adventure for up to four players. Undertow features all new baddies, encounters, tyrants, and a double-sided battle mat. Battles take place both on land and on your raft, adding even more variety and brain-bending tactics.

Featured Videos
Review
Too Many Bones - Undertow - First Look

Too Many Bones - Undertow - First Look

Board Game Replay Jan 20, 2026
Rules Teach
Too Many Bones: Splice & Dice - PART 1

Too Many Bones: Splice & Dice - PART 1

Box of Delights Jul 14, 2026
Unboxing
Unboxing | Too Many Bones: Undertow (+ 40 Waves in Daelore and Promos)

Unboxing | Too Many Bones: Undertow (+ 40 Waves in Daelore and Promos)

Sir Thecos Jun 12, 2026
Ask a Rules Question
All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 9
This page: 9
Sentiment: pos 8 · mix 0 · neu 1 · neg 0
Mentions per page
Showing 1–9 of 9
Video 1HZ5Q3n056E Rolling Dice & Taking Names Discussion at 55:04 sentiment: positive
video_pk 93499 · mention_pk 253068
Rolling Dice & Taking Names - Too Many Bones: Undertow video thumbnail
Click to watch at 55:04 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Top-notch components (dice, clay chips, neoprene mats).
  • Engaging character building and progression.
  • Unique mechanics like the battle queue and back-up plan.
  • Interesting narrative elements through encounter cards.
  • Visually clear health tracking.
  • Characters play very differently.
  • Can carry characters over for campaign play.
Cons
  • Learning curve due to extensive text on character and monster sheets.
  • Setup time can be significant.
  • The first play involves a lot of rulebook referencing.
Thematic elements
  • Adventure and combat against monsters
  • Fantasy world
  • Encounter-driven with flavor text
Comparison games
  • Too Many Bones
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Bag Building / Dice Pool — Dice are rolled from a pool determined by character stats and abilities.
  • Character progression — Players spend points to upgrade character stats (attack, defense, movement, dexterity) and unlock new abilities.
  • cooperative play — Players work together to defeat monsters and a final boss.
  • Dice Rolling — Dice are used for combat, modifying character stats, and activating abilities.
  • Health tracking — Uses chips placed beneath character/monster markers to track remaining health.
  • Scenario / Encounter Deck — The game progresses through days, drawing encounter cards that present choices and challenges.
  • Variable player powers — Each character has unique abilities, skills, and mechanics (e.g., Stanza the Bard uses focus and songs, Duster the Assassin uses damage and an ally).
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • Marty we've been providing background noise for gamers for six years straight and we hope to do it to continue to do it for many more years
  • Krispy Kreme is just a mouthful of hot lard at their best cold yeasty goop at their worst gross
  • If you're a fan of overcooked you've got to try this board game and if you're not it's one of the best real time co-op games I've ever played
  • The art is incredible I love the art of this game it reminds me like brass Birmingham I just like that style that look at that late 1800s Victorian age type stuff the art is great
  • The rub is not the flavor text all the text with the spells and the monsters so this spell does this for me this in this monster has this option
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video imXc4vUN2JM Box of Delights Rules Teach at 1:34 sentiment: neutral
video_pk 90940 · mention_pk 243530
Box of Delights - Too Many Bones: Undertow video thumbnail
Click to watch at 1:34 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
neutral
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • this is too many bones expansion splice and dice i've not opened it yet
  • what i'm going to do for you is play nobody's apprenticeship program i'm going to go through the box set up and play this game
  • the objective of the novelist apprenticeship program is we're going to play over the course of seven days and we're going to be successful if we successfully create a tyrant who's successful in battle against the nobulus's prototyrant before the end of day seven
  • the game is one of managing threats building tension getting through these threats and managing this enough that you can then divert attention to the lab
  • remember we want at least one positive splice per day
  • i hate this card it's horrible
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video ieaTmQ8V2mg Neon Gorilla Review at 8:23 sentiment: positive
video_pk 88696 · mention_pk 234444
Neon Gorilla - Too Many Bones: Undertow video thumbnail
Click to watch at 8:23 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • More content for replayability
  • High-quality components
  • New mechanics that shake up the game
Cons
  • May not feel essential if you already own Undertow or base game
  • Complex setup with new cards
Thematic elements
  • survival and baddie escalation
  • Fantasy dungeon-crawl with expanded content
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • New baddies and encounters — Adds additional encounters and baddies to the base game
  • New starting Day cards — Starting Day cards for each tyrant with new mechanics
  • Terrain changes — New terrain chips and lava map interactions
  • Two-sided baddies and alternate tyrants — New cards and chips with dual forms
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • I'm a chip Theory Fanboy
  • there's just so much content here
  • the premium chips are an absolute must
  • this is the base game this is a standalone version of Too Many Bones
  • Too Many Bones is a fantastic, dense, premium experience
  • this is unbreakable it's the base game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video _U5JnRJ04_4 3 Minute Board Games Top List at 8:06 sentiment: positive
video_pk 87072 · mention_pk 226991
3 Minute Board Games - Too Many Bones: Undertow video thumbnail
Click to watch at 8:06 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
Positive
Pros
  • Satisfying clink of pearls
  • Excellent drafting game
Cons
none
Thematic elements
  • Creepy court full of malignant figures
  • Undersea Court
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Drafting — a car Drafting and set collection game
  • economic — you're trying to bring onto your side to win the game
  • Set Collection — a car Drafting and set collection game
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
No quotes stored for this video.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video ZvGfghKfubI Unboxing at 0:16 sentiment: positive
video_pk 67602 · mention_pk 163752
Too Many Bones: Undertow video thumbnail
Click to watch at 0:16 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Good organization system.
  • High-quality components (weighted chips, nice dice, plastic cards).
  • The plastic cards do not require sleeving.
  • The water theme is integrated into the playmats.
Cons
  • Takes a while to understand due to a lot of reading and learning.
  • Expansion does not fit in the base game's organized storage.
  • Received duplicate promo items.
Thematic elements
Comparison games
  • Fate Forge
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Card-driven loot and abilities — The reviewer shows and describes various loot cards and ability cards.
  • Character progression/upgrades — The reviewer mentions 'dexterity' and upgrading character stats on their mat, and dice unlocking.
  • Chip-based health/encounter tracking — The reviewer explains the use of chips for health, encounters, and character/enemy placement on a battle map.
  • Dice Rolling — The reviewer discusses various dice used for characters, attacks, defense, and other game functions.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • I'm just too stupid to do so.
  • This looks like something that I will be able to get behind. Very good.
  • The cards feel really good. ... there's no need to sleeve them as far as I know, which is great.
  • Because this is not an inexpensive game as like most games by Chip Theory are.
  • This is like a pretty cool system because like the red ones I think are the health chips and these ones here are for the encounters, right?
  • It's like a lot of reading and learning before your first game, right?
  • Quality wise, this is amazing. This is really really good.
  • This is like an organization I can really get behind.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video k-wocyc63oI Box of Delights Unboxing at 0:18 sentiment: positive
video_pk 60219 · mention_pk 152657
Box of Delights - Too Many Bones: Undertow video thumbnail
Click to watch at 0:18 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Adds a water-based environment and raft mechanics
  • Standalone option and compatibility with base game
  • Improved map quality and clearer colors
  • New characters and enemies with stitching on maps
Cons
none
Thematic elements
  • aquatic exploration and combat within a scaled-down map
  • Water-based environment on a raft-based adventure
Comparison games
  • Too Many Bones
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Combat: Damage Based — raft integrity affects available options mid-game
  • double-sided battle map with water and land encounters — two deployment zones (raft and land) and map stitching for variation
  • modular/adaptable map components — can replace base game maps or be used standalone
  • raft damage and repair between encounters — raft integrity affects available options mid-game
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • undertow is gonna be a scaled-down version of too many bones
  • this is gonna be like a stretch goal for on their Kickstarter campaign
  • look at the stitching along the side when I get the old one out and compare for you
  • the colors look clearer
  • these new environments and maps look neat
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video dHENFmg7ynU Game Night Picks - Pair Of Dice Paradise Discussion at 1:10 sentiment: positive
video_pk 41588 · mention_pk 246788
Game Night Picks - Pair Of Dice Paradise - Too Many Bones: Undertow video thumbnail
Click to watch at 1:10 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • epic feel
  • unique dice mechanics
  • strong theme for dice lovers
Cons
none
Thematic elements
  • dice-driven character development and combat
  • fantasy world with creatures and dice-driven progression
  • mechanics-first with cinematic flavor
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Deck Manipulation — dice-based actions to build and customize a character
  • dice manipulation — dice-based actions to build and customize a character
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • it's one of my top five probably favorite games
  • it's epic and it just feels so different with how you handle the creatures and how you manipulate dice
  • felt like you were playing that movie
  • we'll see you at the table
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 74EjieULwx0 Gaming Rules! Discussion at 30:37 sentiment: positive
video_pk 13353 · mention_pk 39177
Gaming Rules! - Too Many Bones: Undertow video thumbnail
Click to watch at 30:37 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Dense, tense, and epic
  • Offers roller coaster moments
Cons
  • Not ideal for beginners
  • Somewhat intimidating entry point
Thematic elements
  • Roll-and-write style dice engine with co-op twists
  • Tense, epic dungeon-boss style arc
  • Dynamic, emotional ride with ups and downs
Comparison games
  • Too Many Bones
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • standalone expansion logic — Undertow adds complexity atop base Too Many Bones
  • two-character solo/duo play — Two players can play the solo experience together
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • "Loving it, absolutely loving it"
  • "I think Jaws of the Lion is a better all-round put together package"
  • "it's one of the most complicated games out there; the learning curve is huge"
  • "I rate the game I think like a 9.5 out of 10"
  • "we played Star Wars Imperial Assault all day"
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video MZA7NhzkpYQ Board Game Replay Review sentiment: positive
video_pk 1102 · mention_pk 3213
Board Game Replay - Too Many Bones: Undertow video thumbnail
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Unique character mechanics
  • Deep character progression
  • Interesting song/ability system
  • Expanded healing mechanics
Cons
  • Complex character learning curve
  • Requires significant time to understand character abilities
Thematic elements
  • Dice-building RPG
  • Cooperative RPG adventure
  • Campaign-based
Comparison games
  • Original Too Many Bones
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Character progression — Each character has unique talent trees and ability systems
  • dice building — Players build and upgrade character dice with unique abilities
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • Each character is its own game
  • We're totally locked in to play this again
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
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