Too Many Bones: Undertow

To set up, first choose a tyrant that the players will need to defeat. This tyrant dictates the maximum number of days available for the adventure. Next, create an encounter deck by shuffling various encounter cards. Each player then selects a Gearloc hero, each with unique starting statistics, skills, and a personal player board. Place the Gearlocs' starting dice and tokens on their respective boards. Finally, set up the combat mat and any other necessary components like loot decks and locked loot, preparing for the journey ahead.

The primary objective of Too Many Bones: Undertow is cooperative: players must work together to defeat the chosen tyrant before the maximum number of days runs out. This involves navigating through a series of encounters, strengthening their Gearlocs, and ultimately confronting the tyrant in a final battle. Success hinges on strategic character development, effective resource management, and tactical combat decisions.

A game turn is divided into days. Each day, players draw and resolve an encounter card from the encounter deck. Encounters can be peaceful, offering choices and rewards, or they can lead to combat. During combat, players and enemies take turns based on initiative. Players spend dexterity points to move and attack, rolling dice to determine success. Failed dice rolls contribute to a 'Plan B' pool, which can be spent later for powerful abilities. Enemies have unique behaviors and attack patterns, and players must strategically defeat them while protecting their raft.

Too Many Bones: Undertow is a fully cooperative game, so there is no individual scoring. The players collectively win or lose. Victory is achieved by successfully defeating the chosen tyrant. If the tyrant is defeated, all players celebrate a shared victory. Conversely, if the tyrant is not defeated within the maximum number of days, or if all Gearlocs are knocked out of combat, the players collectively lose.

The game concludes in one of two ways. Players achieve victory if they successfully defeat the chosen tyrant in a final combat encounter. The game ends in defeat if players fail to defeat the tyrant within the predetermined maximum number of days, or if all active Gearlocs are rendered unconscious during any combat encounter. Each campaign has a specific number of days, and managing this timeline is crucial for success.