How to play Shut the Box
Shut the Box is a centuries-old tavern dice game. You start with a row of numbered tiles, all standing open — 1 to 9 on the classic board, up to 1 to 12 on the long board. Your goal is to fold every tile down and shut the box.
On each turn you roll the dice, then tap any combination of open tiles whose numbers add up exactly to your roll. Rolled an 8? You could shut the single 8, or 5 + 3, or 6 + 2, or 1 + 3 + 4 — any open tiles that total eight. Press Shut to fold them down, then roll again. Keep going until the whole box is closed.
When the numbers still open add up to six or less, you may choose to roll a single die instead of two — handy for landing on those last small tiles without overshooting.
The round ends the moment you roll a total that no combination of open tiles can make. That is your stopping point: your score is the sum of the tiles left open, and lower is better. Shut every tile and you score zero — a perfect game, the coveted “shut the box.”
Scoring and grades
Because a lower score is better, the aim is to leave as little on the board as possible when the dice finally trap you:
| Tiles left open (sum) | Grade |
|---|---|
| 0 (box shut) | S |
| 1–5 | A |
| 6–12 | B |
| 13–25 | C |
| 26+ | F |
Your best (lowest) score is saved per board size right in your browser, so you can chase a cleaner run every time. Pick Nine, Ten, or Twelve tiles from the start menu — the longer the board, the harder it is to shut.
Tips and strategy
- Clear the big numbers first. High tiles like 9, 8 and 7 are the hardest to get rid of late in the game, because few rolls can reach them once your options thin out. Knock them down early while you still have flexibility.
- Keep your options wide. A roll of 7 that you can make three different ways is a lucky roll — spend it in the way that keeps the most useful tiles open for the totals you still need.
- Mind the single-die rule. Once your open tiles sum to six or less, switching to one die stops you from rolling an unreachable high total. Time that switch well and you can pick off 1, 2 and 3 one at a time.
- Think about parity. If only odd tiles remain, an even roll may be impossible to split cleanly — plan a move or two ahead so you are not left with a total the board simply cannot form.
- Know when the odds turn. With just a high tile like 9 stranded, only a couple of rolls save you. Every earlier choice is really about never getting stranded in the first place.