Shut the Box: the rules
Shut the Box — also called Canoga, Klappenspiel or Batten Down the Hatches — is an old dice game played on a row of numbered flaps. The rules belong to nobody; here they are as they are played in most pubs, followed by one round played all the way through.
You can also simply try it:play in your browser— free, no account, no ads.
What you need
A box with flaps 1 to 9 and two dice. That is the classic version. It also exists with flaps 1 to 10 and 1 to 12; the 1–12 board comes with a third die. All of that is on thevariants page.
How a round goes
- Every flap from 1 to 9 stands open. You roll both dice.
- Shut the flaps that together add up to exactly the pips — one flap or several. For a 9 that is the 9, or 4 and 5, or 1, 3 and 5.
- You keep rolling as long as a move exists. Once the open total is small enough you may roll fewer dice: with k dice as soon as the open total is at most 6·k.
- When no move is left, your round is over.
- Your score is the sum of the flaps still standing — lower is better, zero is perfect.
That is all of it. Getting every flap down is called shutting the box — the name of the game and the rare good day.
One round, in full
Flaps 1–9, two dice, classic rules. The right column counts what is still open.
| Roll | Pips | Move | Still open |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | Everything stands open | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 = 45 |
| 1st | 6 + 5 = 11 | shut 9 and 2 | 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 = 34 |
| 2nd | 4 + 3 = 7 | shut 7 | 1 3 4 5 6 8 = 27 |
| 3rd | 6 + 2 = 8 | shut 8 | 1 3 4 5 6 = 19 |
| 4th | 5 + 4 = 9 | shut 4 and 5 | 1 3 6 = 10 |
| 5th | 6 + 1 = 7 | shut 1 and 6 | 3 = 3 |
| 6th | 5 (one die — 3 is at most 6) | no move possible | 3 = 3 |
Result: 3 points. On the fourth roll, 3 and 6 would also have fitted — that would have left 1, 4 and 5 standing, ten points together. This is where the whole game sits: almost every roll can be laid several ways, and which one was better you find out three rolls later.
Scoring and winning
- Solo: your score is the sum of the open flaps. The aim is to beat your own best. Zero means you shut the box.
- With others: each person plays their round to the end, then hands over. Fewest points left wins. There is more of that on two to four players.
- Over several rounds: add the scores, lowest total wins — or run a tournament over best of 3 or 5.
One die from 7 up
The best known extra rule: once every flap from 7 upwards is shut, you may roll a single die. It makes the endgame more predictable, and it is why so many wooden boards reward clearing the big flaps first.
It is not in force everywhere. In Pipfold it is optional and off by default; the general rule — fewer dice as soon as they suffice — always applies anyway.
Common questions
| How many dice do you need for Shut the Box? | Two. The large version with flaps 1 to 12 adds a third, otherwise 11 and 12 would only be reachable as a combination. Once the open total is small enough, you may roll fewer dice. |
| Who wins at Shut the Box? | Whoever ends with the fewest points. Points are the sum of the flaps left standing — lower is better, zero is perfect. Shutting every flap is called shutting the box. |
| What does „one die from 7 up" mean? | A common pub rule: once every flap from 7 upwards is shut, you may roll a single die. In Pipfold it is optional and switched off by default. |
| Can you play Shut the Box alone? | Yes. Solo is the usual form: one round for yourself, trying to beat your own best score. With two to four people you take turns at the same table. |
Next
- The variants — flaps 1–10 and 1–12, single flaps only, plus and minus, and the house rules we do not implement.
- Two, three or four players — taking turns on one device, optionally as a tournament with a tie-break.
- The manual — controls, keyboard shortcuts, honest limits and where the game comes from.
- Play now — in the browser, nothing to install.