Wooden Shut the Box – an original board game

Shut the Box: a fast, tense British dice game where every roll has to close a number.

Shut the Box: close every number before your opponent

A traditional British dice game where each roll has to let you shut one or more numbers. Easy to learn, tense right to the end of the game.

Why people love it

• 🎲 Plays in a few minutes, with one or two dice
• 🧮 A little mental arithmetic, a lot of suspense
• 🎁 A gift idea that stands out from the usual dice games
• 🌳 Compact wooden box, easy to carry

Aim of the game

As the name says, the aim is to shut the box. At the start of the game every number from 1 to 9 is open. On each turn the player rolls one or two dice depending on the numbers still available, then shuts a combination of numbers matching the total. Play continues until no number can be shut: the score is then the sum of the numbers left open. The player with the lowest score wins — and anyone who shuts every number wins instantly.

Fancy another quick two-player game?

Discover Cribbage, which combines cards and counting.

Frequently asked questions