
- BGG rating
- 9.3
Rise of the Gods: Tides of Infamy Expansion
- 2–8 players
- 60–90 min
- 2017

2015
Rules assistance for Tides of Infamy
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.
Tides of Infamy is a board game released in 2015 for 2–4 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Jacob A Bunting and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Area Movement.
Tides of Infamy is a high seas adventure fraught with peril, where you command your ships in a battle for infamy against fellow pirates, sea monsters, the elements and Pirate Luck. Gain Marks of Infamy by successfully smuggling black market supplies, plundering settlements, salvaging treasure, raiding ships and exploring new waters as you sail into uncharted seas. Be the first to gain notoriety through infamous deeds, but beware, untold dangers lurk in these waters! The object of the game is to obtain Marks of Infamy. The first player to collect 20 (2 players), 17 (3 players), 15 (4 players) or 25 (4 player team play) Marks wins. Each player commands three pirate ships: a Man of war, a Sloop of war and a Bilander, using Movement cards to discover mystic portals, treacherous barriers, pirate bays, seamy ports and treasure islands. Ports provide limited Shadow Trade Tokens for smuggling where each island has a unique Plunder Token that pirate ships can steal. Plunder and Shadow Trade tokens are placed on the pirate ship. Tokens must be safely returned to a Pirate Bay to obtain Marks of Infamy. Marks of Infamy are also rewarded by exploring one of the last seven map tiles, weathering a Pirate Luck event or successfully raiding opponent’s pirate ships through Battle cards. Victorious ships also gain any tokens the opposing ship was carrying. Movement cards with a cross bones symbol trigger a special event determined by a Pirate Luck card. The Pirate Luck event affects enemy ships on a selected tile. Players that have previously earned Pirate Luck cards can avoid the event by discarding a card or risk the evils that lay beneath. Are you ready to sail these waters?
Tides of Infamy supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Tides of Infamy is 60 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 Tides of Infamy 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.
Tides of Infamy has a complexity rating of 2.3 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-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.
Tides of Infamy belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Exploration, and Nautical. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Area Movement. 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 Tides of Infamy are: Jacob A Bunting. 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 Tides of Infamy 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.