Stepping Stones is a trick-taking game for three players with a 36-card deck of four suits — cherry blossoms, koi, stone lanterns and bridges — ranked 1 to 9. Over twelve hands every player must declare each of four contracts once: win tricks with a trump suit, win tricks without one, win only the last six, or lose tricks. The first player to bid becomes the declarer and chooses whether 1 or 9 is the high card; if all three pass, the forehand is pushed in the puddle and must declare. Only the declarer's tricks are written on the scoresheet, and once all three have played a contract the best count earns 3 points, the second 1 and the last loses 1.