This week I bought a handful of board games from a friend and I thought I would highlight one of them that exceeded my expectations when it comes to its components. Many times game publishers opt for sacrificing on component quality, whether to cut costs and maximize profits or they just don't put as much value into that facet of their product — especially on par with gameplay and mechanics. I understand to some extent. I mean, gameplay is probably the most important aspect of a board game, one that will ultimately make or break it.

When it comes to Too Many Bones, however, it seems that Chip Theory Games — an independent game publisher based out of Minnesota — spared no expense with components, at least when compared to many other companies.

This was what I was first greeted with when opening the box (which is huge, by the way) of this dice building RPG. Look at all of those custom dice! Some people just love chucking them! The cards (and box) have a nice linen finish too. But what always seems to win me over when it comes to games (much like with Splendor), is the use of chips/poker chips.

These chips are beautiful, using a foil sticker inlay with a hard plastic cover. And while they look great, they also have weight to them, which will probably make it challenging not to fiddle with them when playing the game. I didn't get a picture of them, but the chips used to represent health (I believe) were just plain red, no stickers or plastic cover. As I was lamenting on how it was a missed opportunity to make them similar to the rest, I noticed that on their Kickstarter campaign they had an add-on purchase where backers could have them upgraded to the same quality.

At this point I was already impressed with the game's component, but then I got to the icing on the cake...

The world map, battle board, and all four player boards are neoprene mats! I was fully expecting them to be cardboard. If I wasn't already sold on Too Many Bones (I was), I would have been after finding the playmats. I much, much prefer them over regular game boards.

To be fair, as excited I am about all of these high quality components, I've not yet played the game. It looks to be a complicated one, which may turn off some people in my play groups. But if the gameplay is as good as its pieces, I'm in for a real treat!

Have you heard of Chip Theory Games and/or Too Many Bones? Did you back the Kickstarter campaign? Have you played the game? If so, what are your thoughts? If not, does it look like one you'd want to try? What are some games that you felt the publisher went above and beyond when it came to component quality? What are some games with poor quality components, but still play great?