Tricks & Stones

Components

• 1 modified 32-card deck with four suits: Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, and Clubs
• 8 cards per suit: 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A
• 1 central mancala board with 6 Chambers numbered 0–5
• 8 Gems per player in matching player colors
• 1 Expedition Token per player
• Paper and pencil for scorekeeping

Objective

Predict how many tricks you will win and position your Gems so the Chamber matching your final trick total contains as many of your Gems as possible.

After 4 rounds, the player with the most points wins.

Setup

• Place the mancala board in the center of the table and number its Chambers 0–5.
• Each player takes 8 Gems of one color and the matching Expedition Token.
• Choose the first dealer at random, or use the player who most recently played a mancala game.
• The game lasts 4 rounds. Trump is fixed by round: Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, then Clubs.
• Dealer rotates clockwise after each round.
• Shuffle the deck. With 4 players, deal all 8 cards to each player. With 3 players, deal 8 cards to each player and set the remaining 8 cards aside face down without looking at them.

Core Concepts

Prediction

After seeing your full hand and knowing the round's trump suit, secretly choose a prediction from 0–5.

Place your Expedition Token into the Chamber matching your prediction, then reveal all Expedition Tokens simultaneously.

Your Expedition Token remains in that Chamber for the entire round.

You cannot Place Gems directly into your Expedition Chamber, but you may Move Gems into or through it.

If your final trick total matches your Expedition Token, score a 3-point Expedition Bonus .

Place

Take one of your Gems from your personal supply and put it into an eligible Chamber.

• You may only Place your own Gems.
• You cannot Place into the Chamber containing your Expedition Token.
• If Placing 2 Gems, they must enter different Chambers.

Move

One Move point moves one of your Gems to an adjacent Chamber in either direction.

With 2 Move points, you may move one Gem two Chambers or move two Gems one Chamber each.

You may only Move your own Gems.

Start of a Round

• Confirm the round's trump suit.
• Deal the cards.
• Players inspect their hands.
• Each player secretly chooses a prediction from 0–5.
• Reveal all Expedition Tokens simultaneously.
• The player with the lowest prediction leads the first trick.
• If tied, the first tied player clockwise from the dealer leads.

Playing a Trick

The leader plays one card. Play continues clockwise until each player has played one card.

You must follow the led suit if able. If you cannot follow suit, you may play any card, including trump.

Trump cannot be led until it has been broken .

Trump is broken when a player legally plays trump because they cannot follow the led suit. A player may lead trump before it has been broken only if every card remaining in their hand is trump.

Ranking the Trick

Rank all cards in the trick from First Place to Last Place using this order:

• Trump cards
• Cards of the led suit
• All other cards

Within trump and the led suit, higher-ranked cards finish higher.

Among other offsuit cards, compare suit first, then card rank.

Suit order: Spades > Hearts > Diamonds > Clubs

Card rank: A > K > Q > J > 10 > 9 > 8 > 7

After Gem actions are resolved, the trick winner leads the next trick.

Gem Actions

After each trick, players manipulate their Gems based on their finishing position. Resolve Gem actions from First Place to Last Place.

Players may always use fewer Place or Move points than allowed.

Four Players

• First Place: Place 2 or Move 2
• Second Place: Place 1 or Move 1
• Third Place: Move 1
• Last Place: No Gem action

First Place must choose either Place or Move and cannot combine them.

Three Players

• First Place: Place 2 or Move 2
• Second Place: Place 1 or Move 1
• Last Place: Move 1

First Place must choose either Place or Move and cannot combine them.

Scoring

After all 8 tricks have been played:

• Count how many tricks you won.
• Find the Chamber matching that number.
• Score 1 point for each Gem of your color in that Chamber.
• If your Expedition Token is also in that Chamber, score the 3-point Expedition Bonus.

Only your own Gems score for you. Gems in all other Chambers score nothing.

A player who wins 6, 7, or 8 tricks has no matching Chamber and scores 0 points for the round.

Maximum possible round score: 8 Gems + 3 Expedition Bonus = 11 points.

End of a Round

After scoring:

• Record each player's score.
• Return all Gems and Expedition Tokens to their owners.
• Rotate the dealer clockwise.
• Advance to the next trump suit.

After Round 4, the game ends.

Winning the Game

Total each player's score from all 4 rounds. The player with the most points wins.

If tied, the tied player with the most successful Expedition predictions wins. If still tied, share the victory.

Examples

Moving Toward Your Prediction

Your Expedition Token is in Chamber 3 and one of your Gems is in Chamber 2. You finish First and choose Move 2. You may spend both Move points on the same Gem, moving Chamber 2 → Chamber 3 → Chamber 4. You could instead stop the Gem in Chamber 3 and leave the second Move point unused.

Exact Prediction

You predict 3 tricks and finish with exactly 3. You have 4 Gems in Chamber 3. You score 4 Gems + 3 Expedition Bonus = 7 points .

Missed Prediction

You predict 3 tricks but win 4. You have 2 Gems in Chamber 4. You score 2 points . Your Expedition Token provides no bonus.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and clarifications