Shut the Box Dice Game

Shut the box is a dice game played with numbered tiles, usually 1 to 9. This free shut the box dice game runs in your browser, so you can start right away with no download and no sign-up. Each turn you roll dice and close open tiles whose numbers add up to the roll. The aim is to close every tile, which is called shutting the box.

You can set the number of tiles to 9, 10 or 12, choose how the dice are rolled, and pick how the score is counted. You can play alone, against one to three computer players, or with two to four people taking turns on one device. The game is a family dice game with no stakes and no money involved.

How to play the shut the box dice game online

1. Set the options in the toolbar: Players, Number of tiles, One-die rule, Scoring, Rounds and Computer level. Changing any of them starts a new game.
2. Click Roll two dice or Roll one die, or press R or Enter. The rule you chose decides which button appears.
3. Select tiles by tapping them. On a keyboard, press 1 to 9 for tiles 1 to 9, and 0 for tile 10. For tiles 11 and 12, Tab to the tile and press Enter or Space.
4. Check the “Selected: …” line. When the tiles add up exactly to the roll, the Close tiles button turns on. Click it, or press Enter.
5. To select a whole combination at once, tap a “Ways to make” chip. It replaces your current selection.
6. Roll again. When no open tiles add up to the roll, the turn ends. In a multi-player game, press Continue (or R or Enter) to move on.
7. Press New game (or N) to start over.

Press H for Hint, which shows the best choice and the expected final score. Dimmed tiles cannot be part of any combination for the current roll. Press F for fullscreen and Esc to close the card. There is no undo, and the U key does nothing.

What is shut the box?

Shut the box starts with every tile open, numbered 1 to 9, 10 or 12. On each turn you roll two dice, close any set of open tiles whose numbers add up to the total of the dice, and roll again. The turn ends when no set of open tiles adds up to the roll, and the score is the numbers still left open. Lower is better, and closing every tile gives a score of 0.

The total of the dice is what counts, not each die on its own. A roll of 4 and 5 makes 9, so you could close the 9 tile, or the 4 and 5 tiles together, or 1, 2 and 6. On a 1-9 box there are 8 ways to make 9, and the game lists them as chips.

Shut the box rules

A few rules control every move. A turn needs at least one tile in the set you close. Each tile can be used only once per roll. Only tiles that are still open can be closed.

The one-die rule decides how many dice you roll. You never pick it yourself, and it is applied before every roll. “One die when open total is 6 or less” is the default. Under that rule, once the open tiles add up to 6 or less, you roll one die. “One die when tiles 7+ are closed” rolls one die when every open tile is 6 or lower. With 1-9, that means 7, 8 and 9 are closed. “Always two dice” never changes.

The scoring option decides how the open tiles are counted. “Sum” adds them up, so open 2, 3 and 6 score 11. “Digits” writes the open tiles lowest first and joins them, so open 2, 3 and 6 score 236, and open 1 and 10 score 110. Digits scoring rises quickly when high tiles stay open, because open 9 and 12 score 912. A shut box scores 0 in both modes.

In a multi-player game, the Rounds setting controls how many rounds are played: 1, 3 or 5. In each round, every player takes one full turn on a fresh box, in seat order. The lowest score wins the round. If two players tie, each of them gets a round win. The match winner is the player with the most round wins. If round wins are level, the lower total score wins. If both are level, the match is a tie. In Solo, Rounds has no effect, and one turn is one game.

The computer players use one of two levels. “Computer: smart” picks the move with the lowest expected final score, the same calculation Hint uses. “Computer: easy” always closes the highest tiles it can.

Shut the box strategy and tips

The most useful tool is Hint. While you are rolling, it shows the expected final score and your chance of shutting the box from the open tiles. After a roll, it selects the best combination. Tiles that cannot be part of any combination for the current roll are dimmed, so you can see your options quickly.

As a rule of thumb, close the high tiles while you still can, using as few tiles as possible: a 9, 8 or 7 can only be closed by a big roll, and small tiles stay useful for the end. On a fresh 1-9 box, the best move after rolling 9 is to close the 9 tile alone, with an expected final score of 7.39. After rolling 7, closing the 7 tile alone is best, with an expected final score of 10.68.

Expect shutting the box to be hard. With the default one-die rule, the best possible chance of shutting a 1-9 box is 9.76%. If you always roll two dice, the best possible chance drops to 7.14%. On a 1-12 box with one die when the total is 6 or less and sum scoring, the best possible chance is 0.47%. Use Hint to check your choices, and keep your expectations realistic on the larger boxes.

Frequently asked questions

Is shut the box dice game free?

Yes, it is free to play in your browser on this page. It is a family dice game: nothing in it involves money or stakes.

Do I need to sign up to play?

No. There is no account or sign-up; the game and your settings are kept in your own browser.

Can I play shut the box on a phone?

Yes. The layout works at 375 and 320 pixels wide. Tiles move to two rows when the screen is narrow. In fullscreen, the select boxes are hidden on short screens, so leave fullscreen to change settings.

Is my game saved?

Yes. Your settings, the game in progress, and your stats are saved in your browser’s local storage after every action. Reloading the page restores the game, and nothing is sent anywhere.

Can I undo a move?

No. The game has no undo. Choose your tiles carefully, or use Hint before you close them.

Can I play shut the box with friends online?

No. You can play with two to four players on one device, taking turns in the same browser. There is no online play.

Is there a timer?

No. The game has no timer, so you can take as long as you need on each turn.

Does the game always use two dice?

No. The One-die rule setting decides whether you roll one die or two. You never choose it during play.

More games

• Farkle: roll six dice, set aside scoring dice and decide when to bank your points.
• Bunco: a party dice game played in rounds, aiming for the round number on three dice.
• Dice Game: five dice, three rolls and thirteen boxes to fill.
• Left Right Center: pass chips left, right or into the centre on the roll of the dice.
• Backgammon: race your checkers around the board with two dice.
• Snakes and Ladders: a race to the last square, up ladders and down snakes.