How to Play Shut the Box
Shut the Box is a classic pub dice game dating back to 18th-century Normandy. The goal is to flip down — or "shut" — all nine numbered tiles before your dice run out of valid combinations. Shut everything and you score a perfect zero. Miss some tiles and your score is their sum — lower always wins.
Turn Structure
- Roll two dice at the start of each roll
- Flip down any combination of open tiles that sums to your dice total
- Keep rolling until no open tiles can match your dice total
- When the sum of remaining tiles is 6 or less, roll only one die
- Your turn ends when no valid combination exists — score = sum of open tiles
- Shut all tiles for a perfect score of 0
vs. the CPU
In this version you play against a CPU opponent. You take your full turn first, then the CPU plays. Lowest score wins. On Easy the CPU picks tiles randomly; Medium prefers the highest tiles; Hard plays the mathematically optimal strategy of maximising the sum shut per move.
Read the full Shut the Box rules & strategy guide →
Shut the Box Scoring Chart
| Dice Roll | Example Tile Combos | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | Fewest options — only tile 2 if open |
| 3 | 3 or 1+2 | Two possible combos |
| 4 | 4, 1+3 | Tile 2+2 impossible (same tile twice) |
| 5 | 5, 1+4, 2+3 | Three combos |
| 6 | 6, 1+5, 2+4, 1+2+3 | Four combos — last roll before one die |
| 7 | 7, 1+6, 2+5, 3+4, 1+2+4 | Five combos |
| 8 | 8, 1+7, 2+6, 3+5, 1+3+4 | Multiple paths |
| 9 | 9, 1+8, 2+7, 3+6, 4+5, 1+2+6 | Richest set of combos |
| 10 | 1+9, 2+8, 3+7, 4+6, 1+3+6, 2+3+5 | No single tile for 10 |
| 11 | 2+9, 3+8, 4+7, 5+6, 1+4+6 | Getting harder as tiles close |
| 12 | 3+9, 4+8, 5+7, 1+2+9 | Rare roll, fewest open combos late |
Combos shown assume all tiles are still open. Fewer open tiles = fewer valid combos per roll.
Shut the Box Strategy Tips
Shut High Tiles First
The 9, 8, and 7 tiles carry the most risk to your score. Whenever you can shut a high-value tile — even if a lower-tile combo is available — take it. A stuck score of 1+2+3 is far better than 7+8.
Aim for the One-Die Threshold
Once open tiles sum to 6 or less you roll only one die. Single-die rolls are much easier to match against small tiles (1–6). Every decision should be made with "can I get to ≤ 6 sum?" in mind.
Maximise Combo Count
More open tiles means more possible combos per roll — which means more chances to stay alive. Avoid shutting tiles that leave you in a position where only one specific number saves you next roll.
Track Dangerous Combos
Certain dice totals (e.g. 2, 3 late-game) become increasingly hard to match as tiles close. If tiles 2 and 3 are both shut, rolling a 2 immediately ends your turn. Be aware of which totals are dead ends.
About Shut the Box
Shut the Box (also called Trictrac, Canoga, or Klackers) is one of the oldest known dice games, with origins traced to 18th-century Normandy, France, where fishermen played it in taverns after returning from sea. Legend has it sailors used their catches as stakes and called it "chiffres" — numbers. British sailors brought it back to England, where it became a pub staple under the name "Shut the Box."
The Box: The physical version uses a hinged wooden box with nine numbered tiles that flip down individually — which is why closing all tiles is called "shutting the box." Commercial versions appeared in Britain in the 1960s and the game has been a pub classic ever since.
Variants: Some sets use tiles 1–12 with three dice. The Canoga variant from Hawaii uses tiles 1–10. In some pub rules both players play simultaneously in separate rounds; in others they alternate rolls on the same box. Our version uses the classic 1–9 layout with the one-die rule when tiles sum to ≤ 6.
Shut the Box vs. Farkle: Both games reward scoring decisions every turn, but Shut the Box has a fixed target (close all tiles) while Farkle has an open-ended scoring race to 10,000. Shut the Box is quicker per turn and easier to teach; Farkle offers more complex dice combinations and longer games.