"If we play this game, there are many losers and only one winner"
—Bob
Bob leads a coalition of all the town's businesses to protest a rent hike. Unfortunately, Mr. Fischoeder is already one step ahead of them as he forces them to partake in a water balloon battle royale with the prospect of having their rent cut in half. To win, Bob must stay dry.
- Comically Missing the Point: When Linda tells the town that if they go bankrupt, the kids will have to work in factories, Gene says he wants to work in C+C's Music Factory.
- Divide and Conquer: Mr. Fischoeder does this, and apparently, isn't the first one. He offers to the people the opportunity to have their rent cut in half, in exchange for them to fight each other and the rest of the town having to pay the rent hike. The less altruistic members of the group accept it without a second thought, making the more altruistic ones fear to become victims and accept the game.
- Honor Before Reason: Bob has the last water balloon and is ready to throw it at Jimmy Pesto, until he decides to talk and address Fischoeder rather than win the game. Then the balloon pops in his hand and Fischoeder decides to designate Bob as the new target.
- Human Shield: Literally. Jimmy Pesto has Andy and Ollie serve as body armor.
- In the Back: Tina gets pelted in the back by Jimmy Pesto."Well at least it was fair and square. In my back, when I wasn't looking."
- Laser-Guided Karma: Sal attempts to hit Bob with a water balloon, and Linda jumps in front of Bob to block it with her face. Later, during Bob's Roaring Rampage of Revenge, he nails Sal in the face with a water balloon.
- Let's Get Dangerous!: Bob becomes determined to win after Linda sacrifices herself for him. Louise even comments how different he is at the moment.
- Musical Slapstick Montage: The end credits feature a montage of characters getting hit with water balloons while the cast sings an off-key version of Nena's "99 Red Balloons".
- Prisoner's Dilemma : Mr. Fischoeder weaponizes this when his tenants go on rent strike. He offers them a water balloon throwing game where the last man dry will get 50% off their rent, but everyone else will have their rent raised, which benefits the winner greatly, but will make everyone else get screwed over by the rent they say they can't pay, instead of Bob's strike plan, which could result in nobody having their rents raised at all. Bob can see right through it, but everyone else joins the game, including his own family, pretty quickly.
- Screw the Rules, I Make Them!: Mr. Fischoeder doesn't let anyone forget that he's in charge."Bob, you have ten seconds. Ten, nine, eight, six, one, go!"
- Shaming the Mob: Bob tries this when he holds Jimmy Pesto at balloon-point, but fails once his balloon pops. Linda later successfully does it when she offers to concede defeat.
- Taking the Bullet: Linda takes a water balloon to protect Bob.
- Subverted Catchphrase: Despite "Ow, my face!" being one of her Catchphrases, Linda doesn't say it after getting hit in the face at close range with a water balloon.
- Underestimating Badassery: Mr. Fischoeder states that the Belcher Kids aren't actually advantages to Bob and Linda. This is proven wrong when Gene and Louise use Linda's bra to become snipers and get the secret extra balloons.
- Whole-Plot Reference: The title and plot resembles that of The Hunger Games. Zeke directly references the film by comparing him and Jimmy Jr. to Katniss and Peeta.
