Shut the Box is a dice game for 2–4 players played with nine tiles numbered 1 to 9 and two dice. All tiles start upright. On your turn you roll both dice and shut any group of open tiles whose numbers add up to the dice total, then roll again. When 7, 8 and 9 are all shut you may roll a single die instead. If no combination of open tiles matches the roll, the turn ends and the sum of the tiles still standing is your penalty. A player who shuts all nine tiles wins the game on the spot; otherwise, once everyone has played one turn the player with the lowest penalty wins.
Play now — it's freeThe counting box holds nine hinged tiles numbered 1 through 9, all standing upright at the start of each turn. Together they total 45, which is the worst possible penalty.
Each player plays their own complete turn with a fresh box: every turn starts with all nine tiles up. The first player rotates one seat each game.
Roll both dice and add the pips. You must then shut (flip down) a non-empty group of open tiles whose numbers sum exactly to that total — any number of tiles, as long as every tile you pick is still open and the sum matches:
| Dice total | Examples of legal shut combinations |
|---|---|
| 8 | 8 · 7+1 · 6+2 · 5+3 · 5+2+1 · 4+3+1 |
| 5 | 5 · 4+1 · 3+2 · 3+1+1 is illegal (tiles are unique) |
| 12 | 9+3 · 8+4 · 7+5 · 7+3+2 · 6+4+2 · 5+4+3 |
After shutting, you roll again and keep going as long as some combination of open tiles matches. You cannot stop voluntarily — the turn only ends when a roll matches nothing.
While the 7, 8 or 9 are still open you must roll both dice. Once all three of them are shut, you may choose to roll a single die instead of two — a single die can only total 1–6, which is usually easier to match with small tiles. The choice is optional; rolling both dice is always allowed.
If the dice show a total that no group of open tiles can make, the turn ends immediately. The numbers still standing are added up as your penalty: stuck with 2, 3 and 5 open and your penalty is 10. The best possible penalty is 0 — only by shutting the whole box.
| How the turn ends | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Stuck roll (no combination matches) | Sum of the open tiles (1–45) |
| Shut all nine tiles | 0 — and instant victory |
Shut all nine tiles and you have "shut the box" — you win immediately and the round is over, no matter what the other players' penalties would have been.
Otherwise, after every player has taken exactly one turn, the player with the lowest penalty wins. Tied penalties are broken by seat order on this site (house rule).
Shut the big numbers early: 7, 8 and 9 are hard to match once the small tiles are gone, and clearing them unlocks the one-die option.
Keep 1, 2 and 3 standing as long as you can — they are the universal spare parts that combine into almost any total.
Prefer single-tile shuts over sprawling combinations when you can: an 8 beats 5+2+1 because it leaves more small tiles in play.
Count your remaining sum as you go: every tile you leave standing is a potential penalty point.
Nine tiles, numbered 1 to 9, all standing upright at the start of each turn. (Variants exist with 10 or 12 tiles; this site plays the classic 9-tile pub game.)
Two to four players here, each playing their own complete turn with a fresh box. The game is also famous as a solitaire pastime.
Any non-empty group of still-open tiles whose numbers sum to the dice total. A roll of 8 may shut the 8 alone, or 7+1, 6+2, 5+3, 5+2+1, or 4+3+1.
Once the 7, 8 and 9 tiles are all shut you may choose a single die. While any of 7, 8 or 9 is open, both dice are compulsory.
Your turn ends and the sum of the tiles still standing becomes your penalty — anywhere from 1 to 45 points. Lower is better.
Closing all nine tiles during your turn. It is an instant win: the game ends immediately and no other player completes their turn.
After everyone has played one turn, the player with the lowest penalty (fewest pips left standing) wins. Ties are broken by seat order on this site.
Yes — you can play Shut the Box online free at shutthebox.yeeqia.com directly in your browser, no download or sign-up required to try a table. Chips are purely virtual.
Yes — the site is mobile-first and runs in any modern Android or iOS browser, with a full English interface.