Shut the Box

Roll the dice

Roll, then tap tiles that add up to the roll. Keys 1 to 9 pick tiles; R rolls. Your record: 0 of 0 boxes shut

How to play Shut the Box

Shut the Box is a classic pub and family dice game with a row of nine numbered tiles. The goal is to shut them all.

Roll two dice and add them up.
Shut tiles that add up to the roll. Rolled 8? Shut the 8, or 7 and 1, or 5 and 3, or 5, 2 and 1, any combination of open tiles that totals 8.
Keep rolling until every tile is shut, or you roll a total you can’t make with the tiles left.
One die at the end. Once 7, 8 and 9 are all shut, you may roll just one die.

Shut all nine to win outright. Otherwise your score is the total of the tiles left open, and the lower, the better.

Shut the big tiles first. 7, 8 and 9 can only be shut by big rolls, so take them when you can.
Use one tile rather than two. Shut the 7 for a 7 instead of 4 and 3; you’ll want the small tiles later.
Remember the middle is likely. With two dice, 6, 7 and 8 are the most common totals.
Roll one die when you can. If only small tiles are left, one die gives you small totals that fit them.

Learn which tiles to shut first to give yourself the best chance.

Yes. Play as often as you like in your browser on any device. No download and no account needed.

If you shut all nine tiles, you win with a perfect score of 0. Otherwise your score is the sum of the tiles left open. Lower is better.

Once the 7, 8 and 9 tiles are all shut, you can choose to roll one die instead of two.

Not often. Even with perfect play, only about one game in ten ends with every tile shut.

No. Any combination of open tiles that adds up to the roll is allowed.