Shut the Box variations

Bigger boards: 10 and 12 numbers

The most common Shut the Box variation is a bigger box, with tiles numbered 1 to 10 or 1 to 12. The rules stay the same, but every extra tile makes the box harder to shut. The rules and odds for each are on their own pages: Shut the Box with 10 numbers and Shut the Box with 12 numbers. A version called Full House simply starts with all 12 numbers open.

Variations that change the starting tiles

Four well-known Shut the Box variations start with only some of the tiles open:

• 3 down extreme: the 1, 2 and 3 start shut, and only 4 to 9 are open.
• Against all odds: only the odd numbers start open.
• Even Stevens: only the even numbers start open.
• Lucky number 7: only the 7 is open, and the first player to roll a 7 wins. In Unlucky number 7, the normal game is played but rolling a 7 ends your turn.

Variations that change the scoring

Four Shut the Box scoring variations are widely played:

• Golf is the normal way: add up the open tiles, lowest wins.
• Missionary counts how many tiles are open instead of adding them up.
• Digital reads the open tiles left to right as one number, so 1, 2 and 5 open scores 125.
• Tournament adds up scores over many rounds. A player who reaches 45 drops out.

The Shut the Box scoring page explains each one in more detail.

Variations that change how many tiles you shut

Some Shut the Box variations limit the tiles you can shut with each roll:

• Jackpot: you always roll two dice but shut only one tile, matching either one die or the total of both.
• Two tiles at most: each roll can shut one or two tiles, never three or more. This makes the box harder to shut.

Variations for two players

Two-player Shut the Box has its own variations. In the long game, the second player takes the box as the first player left it and tries to open every tile again, and a double earns an extra turn. Some two-player boxes have a set of tiles for each player, so both can play at once. Full rules are on the 2, 4 or more players page.

Variations for young children

A simpler Shut the Box for young children lets the player shut either the total of the two dice, or the number on one die, or the numbers on both dice. The first player to shut every tile wins. Another classroom version uses cards numbered 1 to 12 instead of a box, and a double ends your turn.

Variations with more dice or bigger numbers

Two Shut the Box variations use more dice or bigger numbers. In 2012, all 12 tiles start open and you roll one 20-sided die instead of two ordinary dice. The 300 uses two boxes and four dice, with the second box numbered 13 to 24, so all the tiles together add up to 300.

How 9, 10 and 12 numbers compare

The three box sizes play very differently, because each extra tile cuts the chance of shutting the box. These figures assume the best choice on every roll and two dice throughout:

With the usual rule that lets you roll one die once the 7, 8 and 9 are shut, the 9-number game improves to about 1 in 10.

Is Shut the Box better with 9 or 12 numbers?

Shut the Box is better with 9 numbers if you want a quick game where shutting the box feels possible, and better with 12 numbers if you want a longer game with more choices on every roll. With 9 tiles, best play shuts the box about one game in ten. With 12 tiles it happens about once in 276 games, so the fun comes from beating each other's scores rather than shutting the box.

Playing with cards or dominoes instead of a box

You can play Shut the Box without a box by using playing cards or dominoes as the tiles. Lay out cards from ace to 9, or dominoes showing 1 to 9 spots, and turn them over as you shut them. You can also write the numbers on paper and cross them out, or use our printable Shut the Box board.