
- BGG rank
- BGG #10,982
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Armello: The Board Game
- 2–4 players
- 120–180 min
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 2026

2012
Rules assistance for Penny Arcade: Paint The Line ECG – Red Tide
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

For 2 players
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Penny Arcade: Paint The Line ECG – Red Tide is a board game released in 2012 for 2 players, 35 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Steve Bowler and Kiko Villasenor and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Dice Rolling, and Deck, Bag, and Pool Building.
“In 1976, as the specter of nuclear war loomed worldwide, the UN Security Council introduced Resolution 501. Known as the Table-Tennis Accords, it decreed that all conflict between nations be resolved through the dialect of Ping-Pong. When Chinese terrorists struck down the US Table Tennis Team in 1979, a rag-tag band of students was forced to play in their stead. Lead by rivals Johnathan Gabriel and Tycho Brahe, they were victorious – but not unharmed. Now, in 1984, the Russian Bear has begun to stir. In times like these, America needs men whose grip is sure. Men who play the entire table.” Penny Arcade: Paint The Line ECG: Red Tide, an expandable card game, features fast and furious tabletop tennis battles. Each set comes with everything you need to play and you can use up to four sets to customize your deck and use your awesome ping-pong skills to battle for your country!
Penny Arcade: Paint The Line ECG – Red Tide supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Penny Arcade: Paint The Line ECG – Red Tide is 35 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Penny Arcade: Paint The Line ECG – Red Tide for ages 13 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Penny Arcade: Paint The Line ECG – Red Tide has a complexity rating of 1.9 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Penny Arcade: Paint The Line ECG – Red Tide belongs to these categories: Fighting, Humor, and Dice. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Dice Rolling, and Deck, Bag, and Pool Building. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Penny Arcade: Paint The Line ECG – Red Tide are: Steve Bowler and Kiko Villasenor. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Penny Arcade: Paint The Line ECG – Red Tide as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.