How to play Shut the Box
- All the tiles start open. Roll the two dice.
- Shut any open tiles that add up to the roll. An 8 can shut the 8 on its own, or 7 and 1, 6 and 2, 5 and 3, 5, 2 and 1, or 4, 3 and 1.
- Roll again and keep going. Once the 7, 8 and 9 are all shut, you may roll one die instead of two.
- When no open tiles add up to your roll, your turn is over. Your score is the sum of the tiles still open, and the lowest score wins.
- Shut every tile and you have shut the box: that is a perfect score of 0, and a win on the spot.
The full Shut the Box rules cover scoring methods, more players and the common house rules.
Playing on this board
- Choose tiles by tapping them, or with the number keys (0 for the 10). They shut as soon as they add up to the roll; tap a tile again to take it back.
- Roll one die appears once every tile from 7 up is shut. Enter or the space bar rolls for you.
- Hint shows the best tiles for your roll, or tells you whether to roll one die or two. The odds line under the dice shows your chance of shutting the box from where you are, with the best play from here on. Switch it off under Odds if you would rather not know.
- Players: choose 2, 3 or 4 to take turns on one device. Each player plays a full turn on a fresh box; the lowest score wins, and anyone who shuts the box wins at once.
- Your solo scores for each box size are kept on this device: games played, boxes shut, best score and average.
How often can you shut the box?
Not often. Playing every roll perfectly, you shut a 1–9 box in 9.76% of games, a 1–10 box in 5.38% and a 1–12 box in only 0.47%. With perfect play the average final score is 11.0 on the 1–9 box. These figures are worked out exactly by computer, and the strategy and odds page shows how, along with the best move for every first roll.
1–9, 1–10 or 1–12?
The classic box has nine tiles. Ten and twelve tile boxes are common too: more tiles means a longer turn and a far smaller chance of shutting them all, because two dice can never make more than 12 and the high tiles take big rolls. On this board the one-die rule works the same way on every box: you may roll one die once every tile from 7 up is shut.
Frequently asked questions
How do you win Shut the Box?
By shutting every tile, which wins at once. If nobody manages that, each player scores the sum of the tiles left open at the end of their turn, and the lowest score wins.
What are the odds of shutting the box?
With perfect play, 9.76% on a 1–9 box, 5.38% on 1–10 and 0.47% on 1–12. Most players do worse, because the best move is not always the obvious one.
When can you roll one die in Shut the Box?
Once the 7, 8 and 9 are all shut. On the 10 and 12 tile boxes here, once every tile from 7 up is shut. Before that you must roll both dice.
Can I play Shut the Box with friends online?
Yes, on one device: choose 2, 3 or 4 players and pass the phone or computer round. Each player gets a fresh box, and the lowest score wins.
Is this Shut the Box game free?
Yes. It runs in your browser with no download and no account, and your scores stay on your device.
What does the chance under the dice mean?
It is the chance of shutting the box from the tiles you have open, if every roll from now on is played perfectly. After a roll it shows what that chance becomes with the best tiles for that roll.