What is the best score in Shut the Box?

Zero, which means you've shut every tile. That's called shutting the box, and it wins the round immediately. In betting games the player who does it traditionally collects double the stake from everyone. Otherwise, the lowest score of the round wins, and the worst possible score on a 1-to-9 box is 45.

When can you roll one die in Shut the Box?

Once the 7, 8, and 9 are all shut, you may choose to roll one die or two. If any of those three tiles is still open, you must roll both dice. Some groups use a looser rule and allow one die once the open tiles total less than six.

How do you score Shut the Box?

When your turn ends, add up the numbers on the tiles still open. That's your score, and the lowest score wins. So if 1, 2, and 5 are left, you score 8. A common variant reads the open tiles as one number instead, making that same position score 125.

Can you shut more than two tiles in Shut the Box?

Yes. You can shut any combination of open tiles that adds up to your roll. A roll of 8 could close the 8 alone, 7 and 1, 6 and 2, 5 and 3, 5, 2, and 1, or 4, 3, and 1. Pick whichever leaves you the best chances for the next roll.

How many players can play Shut the Box?

Any number, including one. Players take turns with the same box, resetting all the tiles between turns, and the lowest score wins the round. Played solo, you simply try to shut the box or beat your own best score. Each turn only takes two or three minutes.

What happens if you roll a number you can't make in Shut the Box?

Your turn ends right away. Add up the tiles still open to get your score, then reset the box for the next player. There's no reroll, and you can't shut a smaller combination that doesn't match the full total of the dice.

How do you play Shut the Box with 12 tiles?

A 12-tile box, sometimes called Full House, works the same way: roll, shut tiles that add up to the total, and score the tiles left open. The bigger numbers make it harder to shut the box, so agree beforehand on when a player may switch to rolling one die.

Shut the Box Rules: How to Play and Score

1Object of the game

Shut as many tiles as you can, so the numbers left open add up to as little as possible. A score of zero means you shut the box. That wins the round immediately.

2Setup

Open all the tiles so the numbers 1 through 9 are showing. Without a box, write 1 to 9 on paper and cross numbers off.
Decide the order of play. Each player takes one full turn at the box, then resets it for the next player.
Agree on the scoring method before starting: the standard sum of open tiles, or the digital method described in house rules.

3The play

Roll both dice and add them.
Shut any combination of open tiles that adds up to that total. A roll of 8 could shut the 8, or 7 and 1, or 5, 2, and 1, as long as every tile you choose is still open.
Roll again and repeat. Once the 7, 8, and 9 are all shut, you may choose to roll one die instead of two. If any of those three is still open, you must roll both.
Your turn ends when you roll a total that no combination of open tiles can match. Add up the tiles still open; that's your score.
Reset all the tiles and pass the dice and box to the next player.

4End of a hand

A round ends after every player has had one turn. The lowest score wins the round. If any player shuts all nine tiles, the round ends right there and that player wins.

5Scoring

In the standard game your score is the total of the tiles left open when your turn ends. Low is good, and all nine tiles add up to 45, so that's the worst possible score.

For	Points
Standard score	Sum of the tiles left open (1, 2, and 5 open = 8)
Digital score (variant)	Open tiles read as one number (1, 2, and 5 open = 125)
Tile-count score (variant)	Number of tiles left open (1, 2, and 5 open = 3)
Shut the box	All tiles shut: score 0 and win the round at once
Worst possible score	45 (no tiles shut)

In a betting game, each player pays an agreed stake into the pool, and the lowest score takes it. A player who shuts the box traditionally collects double the stake from every player. For a longer game, keep running totals across rounds; in one common format, a player drops out on reaching 45 and the last one left wins.

6Winning

Each round, the player with the lowest score wins. Shutting the box ends the round immediately and beats everyone. For a multi-round game, add each player's scores across rounds, and the lowest total wins.

7A worked hand

You start with all nine tiles open, a total of 45. You roll 6 and 3 for 9, and shut the 9. Next you roll 5 and 3 for 8, and shut the 8. Then 4 and 3 make 7, so you shut the 7. With 7, 8, and 9 all down, you may now roll one die, but the open tiles 1 through 6 still add up to 21, so you keep rolling two. You roll 6 and 4 for 10 and shut the 6 and the 4. Open now: 1, 2, 3, and 5. You roll 3 and 2 for 5 and shut the 5. Only 1, 2, and 3 remain, totaling 6, so you switch to one die. You roll a 4 and shut the 3 and the 1. Only the 2 is left. You roll one die and get a 5. No open tile makes 5, so your turn ends with a score of 2. Check: 45 minus 9, 8, 7, 10, 5, and 4 leaves 2.

8House rules

The rules above are the version most US players use. These are the variations you are most likely to run into; settle them before the first deal.

Digital scoring: Read the open tiles left to right as one number, so 1, 5, and 9 left open scores 159. It punishes leaving several tiles open far more than the standard sum does.
One die under six: Some groups allow a single die once the open tiles total less than six, instead of requiring 7, 8, and 9 to be shut. Masters of Games lists this as a common variant.
Full House (12 tiles): A larger box with tiles 1 to 12 makes shutting the box much harder and scores run higher. Agree on the one-die rule before you start, since the 1-to-9 rule doesn't carry over directly.
Jackpot (Thai style): Always roll both dice, but shut only one tile, matching either die or their sum. Wikipedia puts the chance of shutting the box this way, with best play, at just under 8 percent.
Two-player long game: The first player tries to shut the box as usual. When the turn ends, the second player takes the box as it stands and tries to reopen all the shut tiles, with doubles earning an extra roll.

9Mistakes people make

You may shut any combination of open tiles that adds up to the roll, not just one or two tiles. Three or four tiles at once is fine.
You can roll one die only after the 7, 8, and 9 are all shut. Until then, both dice every time.
Your score is the tiles left open, not the tiles you shut. Lower is better.
The turn ends the moment a roll can't be matched. You don't get a reroll or a chance to pass.

10Playing better

Shut the high tiles first. The 7, 8, and 9 can only go down on big rolls, and shutting them is what unlocks the one-die option.
When you have a choice, shut one big tile rather than several small ones. Keeping the small numbers open gives you more combinations to use later.
Switch to one die when the open tiles are small. With only low numbers left, two dice often roll a total you can't use.
Think about which totals are common. With two dice, 7 is the most likely roll and 2 and 12 are the least, so keep tiles open that can make the middle totals.
If you play the digital score, shutting the tile that would be the first digit matters more than shutting the biggest tile.

Shut the Box: questions people ask

What is the best score in Shut the Box?: Zero, which means you've shut every tile. That's called shutting the box, and it wins the round immediately. In betting games the player who does it traditionally collects double the stake from everyone. Otherwise, the lowest score of the round wins, and the worst possible score on a 1-to-9 box is 45.
When can you roll one die in Shut the Box?: Once the 7, 8, and 9 are all shut, you may choose to roll one die or two. If any of those three tiles is still open, you must roll both dice. Some groups use a looser rule and allow one die once the open tiles total less than six.
How do you score Shut the Box?: When your turn ends, add up the numbers on the tiles still open. That's your score, and the lowest score wins. So if 1, 2, and 5 are left, you score 8. A common variant reads the open tiles as one number instead, making that same position score 125.
Can you shut more than two tiles in Shut the Box?: Yes. You can shut any combination of open tiles that adds up to your roll. A roll of 8 could close the 8 alone, 7 and 1, 6 and 2, 5 and 3, 5, 2, and 1, or 4, 3, and 1. Pick whichever leaves you the best chances for the next roll.
How many players can play Shut the Box?: Any number, including one. Players take turns with the same box, resetting all the tiles between turns, and the lowest score wins the round. Played solo, you simply try to shut the box or beat your own best score. Each turn only takes two or three minutes.
What happens if you roll a number you can't make in Shut the Box?: Your turn ends right away. Add up the tiles still open to get your score, then reset the box for the next player. There's no reroll, and you can't shut a smaller combination that doesn't match the full total of the dice.
How do you play Shut the Box with 12 tiles?: A 12-tile box, sometimes called Full House, works the same way: roll, shut tiles that add up to the total, and score the tiles left open. The bigger numbers make it harder to shut the box, so agree beforehand on when a player may switch to rolling one die.

Sources

Checked by Morgan Hale against the sources below. Last reviewed September 28, 2026.

Shut the box, Wikipedia. Read September 29, 2026.
The Rules / Instructions of Shut the Box, Masters of Games. Read September 29, 2026.

Also on the table: Yahtzee, Farkle, Bunco, Backgammon.