Shut the Box

Setup

• Players: one or more. Our practice table is solo.
• The box: nine tiles, 1 to 9, all open.
• Dice: two standard six-sided dice.
• A turn: roll and shut until a roll can’t be used.

How to play

1. 1Roll two dice. Add them up.
2. 2Shut what adds up. Flip down any open tiles that add up to the total. One tile or several.
3. 3Roll again. Keep rolling and shutting as long as each total can be used.
4. 4One die, late. Once the 7, 8 and 9 are all shut, you may roll one die instead of two.
5. 5Can’t use the roll?. Your turn is over. Add up the tiles still standing.

Winning

Your score is the total of the tiles still open when your turn ends. Lowest score wins, and shutting the box scores 0.

Scoring

Our Classic rules add up the open tiles. Some tables read them as one number instead (2, 3 and 5 would be 235), or count how many are left.

Key terms

Tile:

One of the nine numbered flaps, 1 to 9.

Open:

A tile still standing. Open tiles count against you.

Shut:

Flip a tile down. Shut tiles must add up to the roll.

Shut the box:

Shut every tile: a perfect 0.

One-die rule:

Once the 7, 8 and 9 are shut, you may roll one die.

Round:

One turn of rolling and shutting, at our practice table.