How to Play
Shut the Box
A classic 18th-century pub game: roll dice, flip tiles that match your total, and race to shut all nine. Score zero for a perfect game.
Game Overview
The box contains nine tiles numbered 1 through 9, all starting face-up ("open"). Your score at the end of your turn equals the sum of tiles still open. The player with the lower score wins. Shut every tile for a perfect score of zero.
Turn Structure
The One-Die Rule
Rule: When the sum of all remaining open tiles is 6 or less, you roll only one die instead of two.
This rule is key to achieving a perfect score. With tiles 1–6 (or any subset summing to ≤ 6), a single die can only land on 1–6 — values you can still match against remaining tiles. Two dice could produce 7–12, which would be impossible to match and immediately end your turn.
Example: If tiles 1, 2, and 3 remain (sum = 6), rolling one die gives you a result between 1 and 6. Rolling a 1 lets you shut tile 1; rolling a 6 lets you shut 1+2+3. Either way you have options. With two dice you might roll 7 — game over.
Valid Tile Combinations (All Tiles Open)
Combinations assume all nine tiles are still open. As tiles close, fewer combos become available.
| Roll | Valid Tile Combos | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | Only 1 combo — tile 2 |
| 3 | 3 · 1+2 | 2 combos |
| 4 | 4 · 1+3 | 2 combos (not 2+2) |
| 5 | 5 · 1+4 · 2+3 | 3 combos |
| 6 | 6 · 1+5 · 2+4 · 1+2+3 | 4 combos — last two-die total |
| 7 | 7 · 1+6 · 2+5 · 3+4 · 1+2+4 | 5 combos |
| 8 | 8 · 1+7 · 2+6 · 3+5 · 1+3+4 | 5 combos |
| 9 | 9 · 1+8 · 2+7 · 3+6 · 4+5 · 1+2+6 | 6 combos — richest roll |
| 10 | 1+9 · 2+8 · 3+7 · 4+6 · 1+3+6 · 2+3+5 | 6 combos — no single tile |
| 11 | 2+9 · 3+8 · 4+7 · 5+6 · 1+4+6 · 1+3+7 | 6 combos |
| 12 | 3+9 · 4+8 · 5+7 · 1+2+9 · 1+3+8 | 5 combos |
Strategy Tips
Shut high tiles first
Always prefer combinations that close the 9, 8, or 7 tile. A late-game stuck score of 1+2+3 = 6 is fine; a stuck 8+9 = 17 is not. Big tiles drive most of your score risk.
Target the one-die threshold
Closing high tiles quickly brings your remaining sum down toward 6. Once there, every roll is survivable. Shape your tile-closing decisions around reaching ≤ 6 sum.
Preserve combo flexibility
Avoid a state where only one specific roll saves you. Keeping tiles 1, 2, and 3 open longer gives you more ways to match any dice total. Flexibility beats marginal score gains.
Know your dead-end rolls
If tiles 2 and 3 are both shut, rolling a 2 immediately ends your turn (tile 2 is gone). Track which low totals you can no longer match and plan around them.
Beat the CPU on Hard
Hard CPU maximises sum-shut per turn (same optimal strategy). To beat it, you need a lower score, which means reaching a perfect 0 or having a very unlucky CPU late in its run.
Luck vs. skill balance
Shut the Box is roughly 60% strategy, 40% luck. Even optimal play cannot guarantee a perfect game — the dice must cooperate. Keep your average below 10 and you'll beat most opponents.
History of Shut the Box
Shut the Box traces its roots to 18th-century Normandy, France. Norman fishermen are said to have played it in harbour taverns using makeshift boxes and whatever coins they had from their catch. The game spread to Britain via sailors, where it became known as "Canoga" in some regions and "Klackers" in others.
Commercial wooden versions appeared in British pubs from the 1960s onward, and today the game is a staple of pub game nights across the UK, France, and the United States. Multiple 12-tile variants exist — some use tiles 1–12 with three dice — but the classic 1–9 format remains the most common.
The game is well-regarded in recreational mathematics for its elegant probability structure. Because each dice total maps to multiple tile combinations, Shut the Box rewards combinatorial thinking far beyond what its simple rules suggest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I shut more than two tiles on a single roll?
Yes. You can shut any number of tiles, as long as their sum equals your dice total. For example, on a roll of 6 you could shut tiles 1, 2, and 3 simultaneously.
What if I can't match my dice total with any open tiles?
Your turn ends immediately. Score = sum of open tiles. The CPU then plays its full turn.
Can I choose whether to roll one or two dice?
No — rolling one die is automatic once open tiles sum to 6 or less. You don't choose.
Who wins if both players score the same?
It's a tie. Both players share the draw — no tiebreaker in the standard rules.
Does the CPU have an unfair advantage?
On Hard the CPU plays optimally (shuts highest tiles first). On Easy and Medium it makes deliberate suboptimal choices. You can beat the Hard CPU with good luck and correct strategy.
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