In a distant future, scientists were able to build small alternate Earths. Exactly 504 such Earths have thus far been built. The scientists programmed each of these Worlds with an individual set of laws and rules which the residents strictly follow and consider most important for their lives. These may be exploration, consumption, economics, military, etc., and each is unique. You can visit all of these 504 alternate Earths to experience how the people are living, and decide which of these worlds harbors the best civilization. On which World do you want to live? Explore them all and decide!
504 is a game that creates 504 different games out of one box. The game consists of nine modules:
Module 1: Pick-Up & Deliver
Module 2: Race
Module 3: Privileges
Module 4: Military
Module 5: Exploration
Module 6: Roads
Module 7: Majorities
Module 8: Production
Module 9: Shares
In each single game, you take three different modules from the nine available and assemble them in any order you like to create a new game. (504 = 9 * 8 * 7 = the number of distinct permutations of three items from a set of nine. The order of the three game modules is significant, and modules cannot be repeated.) For example, you can play:
a racing game that expands through exploration with technology improving the racing or exploration (World "253").
an 18XX-style stock game with network building for income and production sites to provide workers for the road building (World "968").
a war game with a pick-up and deliver economy and bonus scoring from majorities ("World 417").
Each single game takes from 30 to 120 minutes to play.
- Quick-start tutorial promising a complete overview in 15 minutes or less
- Clear explanation of map features, bases, and faction mechanics
- No publisher/designer/year information provided in transcript
- No explicit qualitative evaluation given
- war between PLA and Taiwanese factions with secret identities and faction alliances
- fictionalized futuristic ground invasion of Taiwan by the People's Liberation Army
- multi-identity, alliance-driven strategic conflict
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- alliance points — Playing a card grants an alliance point with that faction.
- base/core city control and battles — Bases and core cities determine war outcomes; battles resolve in contestable bases.
- combat resolution — Battles compare strengths (troops plus character), with specific rules about elites, ties to PLA, and retreats.
- deployment and garrison rules — PLAs must leave at least one troop in bases; deployment rules for bases and landing sites.
- Endgame scoring — Endgame scoring includes multiple factors: faction alliances, base control, hero of Taiwan, contributions, and special conditions for certain factions.
- hand management — On most turns you choose a card from your hand to play; you may draw a card at turn start if you have none and if a card is available.
- identity reveal — Once per game a player may reveal their identity to resolve its special ability.
- missions and faction tracks — Six mission decks provide area-based objectives and rewards; progress involves colored faction spaces.
- movement/incite/lure — You move units, incite the enemy, or lure PLA units; repositioning rules specify end locations and limitations.
- recruit/redeploy/surrender — Four basic actions include recruiting troops, redeploying units, surrendering, or moving units.
- unit types and strength — PLA units (red) and Taiwanese units (green) have troops and character strength; elites differ via character stands.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- 2045 is set amidst the backdrop of a fictionalized futuristic ground invasion of the island of Taiwan by the People's Liberation Army.
- Each player takes on the role of one of six different secret identities which are dealt at setup and through play they can control both the PLA and Taiwanese units to influence the battles.
- The war is fought by units and each unit is a single stack in some combination of troops fives and ones and a character stande.
- In endgame scoring, the combination of your strength with an alliance, which side controls its bases, and the outcome of the war will be a significant scoring factor.
References (from this video)
- Intriguing concept of 504 games in one box
- Fantastic experiment
- Only one game variant was decently good
- Many of the 504 games aren't great
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Modular gameplay — Nine modules create 504 different games (9 * 8 * 7 = 504)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- man, I I I love this game
- I don't know what happened here. This game has been universally scorned
- It's a fantastic experiment from Freriedman Freeze, but I don't want to buy a game where a lot of the games aren't that great
- robots versus ducks. You know, the never-ending war
- This is fantastic a game, but I think it's fundamentally broken
- I really want to like this game
- One of the creepiest covers of all time. The animals are staring into your soul
- definitely for me one of the best of the Uve Rosenberg tile laying games
- I hate. I really do hate this game
- It's a really funny little game