KIKAI – Bricolage Heads is a two-player strategy game in which players compete to build creations (KIKAI) from recycled parts across six districts. Players earn Victory Points by building components, attracting Fans, gaining Influence, and hosting Exhibitions.

Objective

The player with the most Victory Points (VP) after four rounds wins the game, unless one player achieves an Instant Media Victory by placing all six of their billboards.

Gameplay

These rules describe the Standard game. Differences for Advanced Mode are listed at the end.

Game Flow

The Yellow player begins. Players alternate turns until both have taken the number of turns shown on their Player Board for that round (5 or 6 turns depending on the round). When a round ends, victory points are granted based on a players Renown on the Master’s Board, and the next round begins.

The game ends after Round 4 or immediately upon a Media Victory.

Turn Structure

Each turn, a player:

1) Plays one District Card from their hand, which determines the District in which the player will act. Alternatively, play two identical District Cards together to perform an action in any District. Cards are placed in the current turn column of their Player Board.

2) Performs one of four actions (discussed below) in that District:

• Build a KIKAI Component
• Deploy Flyer Droppers
• Attract Fans
• Host an Exhibition

Optional: discard 1 Megaphone token to play another District Card (or two identical) and perform a second action.

3) Draws one new District Card, either one of the two visible cards or the top card of the deck.

Optional: discard any number of Ladder tokens to draw that many additional cards from the top of the deck.

End of a Round

All District Cards played are collected and reshuffled, then placed beneath the draw pile.

On the Master’s Board, each player gains VP according to their Renown position multiplied by the round’s VP multiplier (×4, ×3, or ×2 as indicated). Renown markers are reset to 'Start'.

Actions

Build a KIKAI Component

• Build one component (Foot, Body, or Head) in the District matching your played card by paying its Energy cost and gaining Influence (1 for a Foot, 2 for a Body if a Ladder is placed, 3 for a Head if 2 Ladders are placed).
• A new component of that type is immediately revealed.
• The first to build a Head in a District, claims its Construction Bonus and applies the immediate VP reward.

Deploy Flyer Droppers

• Deploy Flyer Droppers from your Energy Track onto the streets (white squares) starting from the chosen District, at 2 Energy cost per Flyer Dropper.
• Deployment must start from or extend your existing network from that District. Networks do not pass through a District.
• Some Energy-Track spaces and street spaces grant immediate bonuses as indicated.

Attract Fans

• Attract Fans of matching colors to your KIKAI in that District and trigger their Effects, one Fan per component, provided that Fan can reach the District through Flyer Droppers.
• Pay directly 1 Energy per Flyer Dropper used of your opponent’s network.
• When you attract the last Fan from a Square, immediately place one of your Billboards there and gain both the Billboard bonus and the Square’s VP value. If a player places all six of their Billboards, they immediately win by Instant Media Victory.

Host an Exhibition

• Present your KIKAI to its Fans by removing all Fans from the chosen District, to gain Energy (equal to the rightmost revealed value on your Energy Track) and advance your Renown marker on the Master’s Track (equal to the sum of the Influence values of the collected Fans), gaining any bonuses passed along the way.
• You may discard Megaphone tokens to include Fans from other Districts: 1 token for adjacent, 2 for two away, 3 for three away (Diner and Parking are considered adjacent).

End of Game

The game ends either immediately by Instant Media Victory or after Round 4. Final scoring is as follows, adding:

• VP earned during the game.
• VP shown on Energy Track.
• 5 bonus VP for the player who attracted the most Fans (tied = no bonus)
• 1 VP per 5 Energy
• 1 VP per 2 Megaphones
• 1 VP per 2 Ladders
• Minus VP for any unclaimed Foundation Tiles remaining on the board.

Fans still on the board grant no points.

Highest total VP wins; in case of a tie, the victory is shared.

Variant

Advanced Mode

Advanced Mode uses the reverse sides of the boards and bonus tiles. Setup differs: players gain bonuses from their starting Foundation Tiles instead of discarding them. At the end of each round, Renown determines Energy or token rewards (not VP multipliers). Head Construction Bonuses grant permanent effects instead of immediate VP. Final scoring awards 1 VP per Fan collected and 1 VP per Influence point on each of your tracks (Red, Green, Blue). In case of a tie, the player with the most Red Fans wins; if still tied, start a new game.