Chip Theory Games
Chip Theory Games is a privately held, Plymouth, Minnesota-based tabletop board game publisher that designs, produces, and direct-to-consumer sells premium dice-building RPGs and strategy games (including the Too Many Bones series and a Bethesda-licensed Elder Scrolls title) to dedicated board game hobbyists, with a catalog of over 200 SKUs across eight major game series and two sub-brands.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersPlymouth, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Chip Theory Games does
Chip Theory Games is a Plymouth, Minnesota-based tabletop board game publisher founded in 2012, operating with 11–50 employees. The company designs and sells premium, mechanically complex hobby board games under multiple product lines, including the flagship Too Many Bones dice-building RPG series (54 SKUs, celebrating a 10-year anniversary in April 2026), the Bethesda-licensed The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era, and additional series spanning Cloudspire, Hoplomachus, burncycle, 20 Strong, Wroth, and Dragons of Etchinstone. Sub-brands include Chip Theory Kids for family-friendly titles and Neon Knight Games, a co-development studio producing Neon Reign Deluxe Edition. The catalog totals 214 SKUs, combining base games priced up to $224.95, expansion packs, premium component upgrades (chips, dice, bags, neoprene mats), and collectibles.
The company's core technology centers on proprietary mechanical systems rather than software: the Heatup Track™ (patent pending) manages dice reuse across combat rounds, the Theory Chip provides chip-based resource tracking, and the Tyrant Dice System creates interoperability where character dice from one Too Many Bones product function as skill dice in others. These innovations are layered onto a product-led growth model that emphasizes deep gameplay, premium physical components, and support for solo, cooperative, and PvP play modes.
Chip Theory Games operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce model through its Shopify storefront, supplemented by Gamefound crowdfunding for preorders and late pledges, and a retailer program for physical retail distribution. All fulfillment runs from a single Plymouth distribution center. Revenue streams include one-time game and expansion sales, premium hardware accessories, collectibles/merchandise, and gift cards. The company has no disclosed funding, no parent company, and is privately held, with Josh Carlson serving as CEO. The company's marketing approach is content-led, anchored on Discord, buyer's guides, social media, and YouTube, targeting dedicated board game hobbyists seeking depth, replayability, and component quality beyond mass-market offerings.
Chip Theory Games firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Chip Theory Games
- Legal name
- Chip Theory Games
- Website
- https://chiptheorygames.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Chip Theory Games is a privately held, Plymouth, Minnesota-based tabletop board game publisher that designs, produces, and direct-to-consumer sells premium dice-building RPGs and strategy games (including the Too Many Bones series and a Bethesda-licensed Elder Scrolls title) to dedicated board game hobbyists, with a catalog of over 200 SKUs across eight major game series and two sub-brands.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Chip Theory Games is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Plymouth
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Chip Theory Games business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Board Game Sales: Primary revenue stream from selling base games across multiple series including Too Many Bones, The Elder Scrolls, Cloudspire, Hoplomachus, burncycle, 20 Strong, and Wroth. Prices range from $24.95 for smaller titles to $224.95 for premium complex games.
- Game Expansions: Extensive catalog of expansion products that add new characters, scenarios, factions, and content to base games. Expansions maintain ongoing engagement with existing customers and drive repeat purchases.
- Premium Accessories: High-margin products including premium chips, dice, bags, tokens, neoprene mats, dice trays, and storage solutions. These accessories complement the core games and enhance the gaming experience.
- Collectibles: Merchandise items including enamel pins, mugs, coasters, plushies, art books, puzzles, and shadow boxes featuring intellectual property from their game universes.
- Gift Cards: Digital and physical gift cards enabling customers to purchase products or gifts for other gamers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Base Games - Premium tier |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Base Games - Entry tier |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Expansions |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Premium Accessories |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Collectibles |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Chip Theory Games product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Chip Theory Games designs, publishes, and sells premium tabletop board games, expansions, and high-end physical components (chips, custom dice, neoprene playmats, miniatures) directly to consumers through its own e-commerce storefront and via crowdfunding. Its portfolio spans eight interconnected game series, including the Too Many Bones dice-building RPG, The Elder Scrolls licensed strategy games, Cloudspire, Hoplomachus, burncycle, 20 Strong, Wroth, and Dragons of Etchinstone, with family and arcade-style offerings under the Chip Theory Kids and Neon Knight Games sub-brands.
Product overview
Chip Theory Games is a board game publisher offering a portfolio of interconnected game series featuring physical components including chips, dice, cards, and miniatures. The core product lines include Too Many Bones (dice-building RPG with character expansions), The Elder Scrolls (strategy games), 20 Strong (deck-building cards), Cloudspire (multi-faction strategy), Hoplomachus (gladiator strategy), burncycle (cooperative gameplay), Wroth, and Dragons of Etchinstone. Products span base games, expansion packs, premium accessories (chips, bags, tokens, dice, playmats, storage), and collectibles. The company operates sub-brands including Chip Theory Kids (family games) and Neon Knight Games (arcade-style fighters). All products are physical tabletop gaming items distributed through their e-commerce platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Chip Theory Kids: A sub-brand focused on kids and family-friendly board games.
- Neon Knight Games
Products and services
- Too Many Bones Flagship dice-building RPG series featuring character expansions, campaign components, and additional baddies and encounters. Sold to tabletop gaming hobbyists as base games plus a large library of character expansion packs.
- The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era
Companies that use Chip Theory Games
Customer profileSegments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Chip Theory Games technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Chip Theory Games partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Neon Knight GamesminorCollaboration with Neon Knight Games on the Neon Reign Deluxe Edition title. Manny Trembley, creator of Neon Knight Games, partnered with Chip Theory Games for distribution and publishing of this fast-paced arcade-style fighting card game. The Deluxe Edition includes acrylic components to replace standard cardboard tokens.
- Manny TrembleyminorIndividual designer collaboration on Neon Reign, the debut title from Neon Knight Games. Chip Theory Games serves as publishing and distribution partner for this arcade-style fighting game.
- George Aristides (TMB Expert/Superfan)minorExternal playtesting and consultation partner for the secretive Trover character development. George Aristides provided expert feedback and problem-solving for the complex kobold character mechanics, working closely with internal team to balance and test the product.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Chip Theory Games competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Asmodee: Largest global hobby-games publisher (Catan, Ticket to Ride, Star Wars franchise games) operating across mass-market and hobby segments; competes indirectly with Chip Theory's hobby-tier titles through its portfolio scale and retail reach.
- Fantasy Flight Games: Asmodee subsidiary producing complex hobby tabletop titles (Arkham Horror, Gloomhaven digital, Star Wars RPG) — overlaps Chip Theory's RPG and strategy-mechanics niche within a much broader publishing portfolio.
Direct peers
- Plaid Hat Games: Developer-led tabletop publisher (Stuffed Fables, Summoner Wars, Mice & Mystics) with a hybrid crowdfunding/retail model similar to Chip Theory's, focused on story-rich and tactical hobby games.
- Greater Than Games: Publisher of Spirit Island and Dice Forge — hobby-strategy titles with premium components and expansion-driven revenue — direct overlap with Chip Theory's complex-strategy and premium-components positioning.
- CMON: Publisher of high-complexity, miniatures-heavy hobby board games (Zombicide, Bloodborne, Marvel United) frequently funded via Kickstarter — direct category overlap with Chip Theory's premium, miniatures-and-dice tabletop RPG line.
- Stonemaier Games: Independent tabletop publisher specializing in premium, hobby-grade strategy games (Wingspan, Scythe) sold D2C and through retail. Operates with a similar premium-component ethos and direct/community-driven go-to-market motion as Chip Theory Games.
- Awaken Realms: Polish tabletop publisher behind Tainted Grail and Nemesis, known for premium components, narrative-heavy RPG systems, and crowdfunding-first launches — parallels Chip Theory's premium-component + crowdfunding playbook.
- Cephalofair Games: Creator of Gloomhaven, a flagship dungeon-crawler RPG franchise sold via Kickstarter, retail, and D2C with deep mechanics, expansions, and locked-class progression — closely aligned with Chip Theory's Too Many Bones dice-builder model.
- Leder Games: Indie publisher of high-complexity hobby games (Root, Oath, Arcs) with strong expansion catalogs and D2C distribution — comparable niche-enthusiast positioning and base-game-plus-expansion monetization.
Others
- Gamefound: European tabletop-focused crowdfunding platform used by Chip Theory Games for preorders and late pledges — adjacent ecosystem infrastructure rather than a direct competitor, but channel partner for new release validation.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Chip Theory Games social profiles
Digital presenceChip Theory Games financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Chip Theory Games leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Chip Theory Games subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Chip Theory Games funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Chip Theory Games M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Chip Theory Games
What does Chip Theory Games do?
Chip Theory Games designs, publishes, and sells premium tabletop board games, expansions, and high-end physical components (chips, custom dice, neoprene playmats, miniatures) directly to consumers through its own e-commerce storefront and via crowdfunding. Its portfolio spans eight interconnected game series, including the Too Many Bones dice-building RPG, The Elder Scrolls licensed strategy games, Cloudspire, Hoplomachus, burncycle, 20 Strong, Wroth, and Dragons of Etchinstone, with family and arcade-style offerings under the Chip Theory Kids and Neon Knight Games sub-brands.
Is Chip Theory Games a public or private company?
Chip Theory Games is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Chip Theory Games founded?
Chip Theory Games was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Chip Theory Games based?
Chip Theory Games is headquartered in Plymouth, United States, in the North America region.
How does Chip Theory Games make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Board Game Sales are the primary driver. The others are game Expansions, premium Accessories, collectibles and gift Cards.
Who are Chip Theory Games's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Asmodee and Fantasy Flight Games. Direct peers are Plaid Hat Games, Greater Than Games, CMON, Stonemaier Games, Awaken Realms, Cephalofair Games and Leder Games. Gamefound is listed as an others.
Does Chip Theory Games have an API?
No public API is recorded for Chip Theory Games.