Objective:

The objective of Shut The Box is to close as many numbered tiles as possible by rolling the dice and matching the numbers rolled to the remaining open tiles. The player with the lowest score at the end of the game wins.

Components:

• 1 Shut The Box game board with numbered tiles from 1 to 9 (or 1 to 12 in some versions)

• 2 six-sided dice

• Scorepad and pen (optional, for keeping track of scores over multiple rounds)

• 1-4 players
  

Setup:

1. Position the Game Board: Place the Shut The Box game board in the center of the playing area so that all players can easily reach it.

2. Determine the Starting Player: Players can roll a die to determine who starts first. The highest roll goes first, and play proceeds clockwise.
   

Gameplay:

1. Rolling the Dice:

   • The starting player rolls both dice.

2. Closing the Tiles:

   • After rolling, the player must choose to close one or more numbered tiles that add up to the total rolled on the dice.

   • For example, if the player rolls a 5 and a 3 (totaling 8), they can choose to close the 8 tile, or any combination of tiles that add up to 8 (e.g., 7 and 1, 6 and 2, 5 and 3, 4 and 4, etc.).

   • Once a tile is closed, it remains closed for the rest of the round.

3. Continuing the Turn:

   • The player continues rolling the dice and closing tiles until they can no longer close any more tiles based on their roll.

4. Scoring the Turn:

   • When a player cannot make any more moves, their turn ends, and they score the sum of the numbers on the remaining open tiles.

   • If a player manages to close all the tiles, they score 0 for that round, which is the best possible outcome.

5. Next Player:

   • The next player (clockwise) takes their turn, repeating the rolling and tile-closing process.
     

Winning the Game:

• Single Round: The player with the lowest score after everyone has taken their turn wins.

• Multiple Rounds: Players can play multiple rounds, keeping a cumulative score. The player with the lowest total score after a predetermined number of rounds wins.
  

Additional Rules:

• House Rule Variations: Some variations allow players to use three dice, especially with higher-numbered tiles (1-12). Players may also agree to use specific combinations or house rules to adjust difficulty.

• Solo Play: In solo play, the player tries to achieve the lowest possible score in a single round or over multiple rounds.
  

Strategy:

• Tile Selection: Prioritize closing higher-value tiles early in the game to reduce potential scores if you get stuck.

• Combinations: Consider different combinations of tiles that can be closed with each roll to maximize your chances of continuing play.

• Probability: Understand the probabilities of rolling certain totals to better plan which tiles to close.a