Shut the Box

How to play

Two to four players each play down their own box of nine tiles, numbered 1 to 9 and all open at the start of a turn.

On your turn roll two dice, then shut any set of still-open tiles whose values add up to the dice total — a 7 could shut the 7, or 3+4, or 1+6, or 2+5, or 1+2+4.

Roll again and keep shutting; once tiles 7, 8 and 9 are all down you may choose to roll a single die instead, since a lower total is easier to match.

If no combination of open tiles matches the roll, your turn ends and you score the sum of the tiles still open — lower is better, and shutting every tile is "shutting the box" for a perfect zero.

After everyone has played their box, the lowest score wins the round; a tied lowest shares the win.

Ways to play

• 🤖
  Against the computerPlay on one device against a computer opponent.
• 👪
  Play together, nearbyWith family and friends in the same room: up to 4 players, each on their own phone or tablet. No Wi-Fi or internet needed. In the Jambolaya app.
• 🎓
  Learn by playingA guided lesson on the real game teaches you the rules one step at a time.