Shut the Box
Board · 5 playsShut the Box
The classic pub dice game — roll, add up, and flip down tiles 1 to 9. Can you shut the box?
About Shut the Box
The old pub-counter favourite, tiles and all. Roll two dice and flip down any open tiles that add up exactly to the roll — a nine might close the 9 on its own, the 4 and 5 together, or the 1, 3 and 5. Once every open tile is 6 or lower you may roll a single die instead, which is often the smarter choice near the end. When no combination fits, the round is over and the tiles still standing count against you, so lower is better — and flipping down all nine is the famous Shut the Box, a perfect zero. Play a five-round solo game and chase your best total, or take turns against Marge, where the first to win three rounds takes the match. Free to play in your browser — no download, no sign-up.
How to Play
Roll the dice, then tap open tiles that add up exactly to the roll and press Shut. Once every open tile is 6 or lower, you may roll just one die. When no combination fits, the round ends — the open tiles are your score, and lower is better. Shut all nine for a perfect 0. Play 5 solo rounds, or beat Marge to 3 round wins.
Tips & Strategy
Shut the high tiles first, every time you have the choice. A roll of 9 can close the 9, or the 4-5, or the 1-3-5 — and the right answer is almost always the single 9. High tiles are the hardest to shut later (once you are rolling low totals they become unreachable) and they cost the most when the round ends, since your score is the sum of whatever stays open. Keeping the 1, 2 and 3 alive also leaves you the most flexible change for awkward rolls.
Use the one-die rule with intent. Once every open tile is 6 or lower you may roll a single die, and when the tiles left add up to 6 or less, one die is clearly right: two dice cannot roll less than 2 and average 7, sailing past the little totals you need, while one die can hit them directly. With larger sums still open, two dice clear more per roll — the switch point is the moment a single die could plausibly finish the box.
Remember the shape of two-dice rolls: 7 is the most common total, with 6 and 8 close behind, and 2 and 12 rare. So prefer moves that keep several ways to make the middle numbers — leaving only the 2 and the 12-ish combinations is asking for a dead roll. In the five-round solo game, steadiness beats heroics: a string of small leftovers wins on total. Against Marge it is round by round, first to three wins, so there is more room to gamble on shutting the box outright when you are a round behind.