Stepping Stones

• Stepping stones is a game for any number of players.
• Usually played by paper-pencil but may also be played verbally.
• The object is to move from one word to another by way of associations.

• Two random words are found. For example by picking a book, telling a random page and line number, and picking a word therefrom.
• Now each player will try to build a bridge of words between the two words, where each step is connected with a legitimate association.
• Number of steps to be used may be decided in advance.
• When everyone is ready, players read out their answers. All the other players can decide if the connections between one word and the next are acceptable.
• If played competitively, the game is won by the player who builds the best bridge (decided by other players) or, alternatively, who completes the connection in the smallest number of steps.

• EXAMPLE

Words are: "cars" and "bulbs" 

- Cars need KEYS to start.
- This sounds like QUAYS, where boats are tied.
- Boats are used to catch FISH.

- Fish are sometimes kept in BOWLS.

- Bowls is a game played on GRASS.
- Grass is found in many GARDENS.
- In gardens people plant BULBS.

Source: The Oxford A to Z of Word Games