# Shut the Box Online — full content

> Shut the Box is a traditional pub dice game: roll two dice and shut any combination of numbered tiles adding up to your roll, aiming to shut every tile. Your score is the total of the tiles left open, lowest wins, and shutting all of them is a perfect game.

This document aggregates the reference content of https://shuttheboxonline.com/ for AI ingestion.
Canonical URLs are listed per section — cite the URL, not this file.

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## Play Shut the Box Online Free

Canonical: https://shuttheboxonline.com/

Shut the Box playable instantly in the browser, no login and no download, with full rules, scoring and strategy on the page.

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## Shut the Box Rules: How to Play

Canonical: https://shuttheboxonline.com/rules

Shut the Box is a dice game for one or more players using a box of numbered tiles, normally 1–9 or 1–12. On your turn you roll two dice and shut any combination of open tiles that adds up exactly to your roll, then roll again; your turn ends when no combination of the open tiles can make your roll. Your score is the sum of the tiles still open, and the lowest score wins. Shutting every tile is a perfect game, called "shutting the box". A Shut the Box game takes a minute or two from first roll to last, which is a large part of why the box has stayed a pub fixture for as long as it has.

### What you need

A Shut the Box set is a shallow wooden box with hinged or sliding tiles numbered 1 to 9 (or 1 to 12) and two standard six-sided dice. Any number of people can play, taking turns one at a time.
- A Shut the Box board with tiles numbered 1–9 or 1–12.
- Two standard six-sided dice.
- One or more players. Everyone plays their own turn on the same box.
- Paper for scores if you are playing several rounds.

### How to play a turn

Start with every tile open. Roll both dice, add them together, then shut any combination of open tiles adding up to exactly that total. Keep rolling until you cannot make your roll from the tiles still open.
1. Open every tile: Begin your turn with all tiles standing open, showing 1 through 9 (or 1 through 12).
2. Roll both dice: Roll the two dice and add the faces together. That total is what you must match with tiles this roll.
3. Shut tiles adding to your roll: Shut any combination of open tiles whose numbers add up to exactly your total. Rolling 8 lets you shut 8, or 1+7, or 3+5, or 1+3+4: any open combination that sums to 8. You may shut only one combination per roll.
4. Switch to one die when every tile left is 6 or lower: Once all the tiles still open are 6 or below, you may roll a single die instead of two for the rest of your turn. This is the standard rule on most boards and it materially improves your odds.
5. Keep rolling until you are stuck: Roll and shut repeatedly. Your turn ends the moment you roll a total that cannot be made from any combination of the open tiles.
6. Add up the tiles left open: Your score is the sum of the numbers still showing. Lowest score wins. If you shut every tile you score 0 and have shut the box, winning outright.

### Scoring

Your score is the total of the tiles left open at the end of your turn, and the lowest score wins. On a 9-tile board the worst possible score is 45 and on a 12-tile board it is 78; zero is a perfect game.
| Board | Perfect game | Worst possible score | Typical good score |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 9 tiles (1–9) | 0 (shut the box) | 45 | 0–10 |
| 12 tiles (1–12) | 0 (shut the box) | 78 | 0–25 |
Some households score the open tiles as digits read left to right rather than as a sum, so leaving 5 and 7 open scores 57 instead of 12. Agree which method you are using before the first roll, because it changes which tiles you want to keep open.
In a multi-round game, players usually take turns until someone passes an agreed target (often 45 on a 9-tile board), and the lowest cumulative total wins.

### Shut the Box terms explained

The vocabulary around a Shut the Box board is inconsistent. The same move has different names in different pubs and different countries. These are the terms you will actually meet, defined the way players use them.
**Shutting the box**: Closing every tile on the board in a single turn, which scores zero and is the best possible result. With optimal play it happens roughly once in every 14 turns on the nine-tile board and once in every 268 on the twelve-tile board.
**Tile**: One of the hinged numbered flaps on the board, numbered 1 to 9 or 1 to 12. A tile is "open" when it is standing up and still available, and "shut" once it has been laid flat to cover part of a roll.
**Single-die rule**: The standard rule that once every remaining open tile shows 6 or lower, the player may throw one die instead of two. It substantially improves the chance of finishing a turn, and most published rule sets treat it as automatic rather than optional.
**Dead roll**: A roll whose total cannot be made from any combination of the tiles still open. A dead roll ends the turn immediately, and the tiles left standing are the score.
**Digit scoring**: An alternative scoring method in which the open tiles are read left to right as a single number rather than added up, so leaving 5 and 7 open scores 57 instead of 12. It rewards shutting high tiles early and must be agreed before the first roll.
**Canoga**: The most common North American name for Shut the Box, particularly in New England. The rules are the same; the name travelled with the game rather than marking a different variant.
**Klackers**: A common British and Australian name for Shut the Box, after the sound the wooden tiles make. Also written Klacker or Clackers.
**Batten down the hatches**: A nautical nickname for Shut the Box reflecting the game’s traditional association with Norman fishermen, who are usually credited with popularising it aboard boats.

### Common questions about the rules

**Can you shut more than one tile at a time in Shut the Box?**
Yes. You may shut any combination of open tiles that adds up to exactly your dice total, so a roll of 9 can shut 9, or 4+5, or 1+3+5, or 2+3+4. You may only shut one such combination per roll, and the tiles must add up exactly, so you cannot go over or under.
**When can you roll only one die in Shut the Box?**
The standard rule is that once every tile still open is 6 or lower, you may roll a single die instead of two for the rest of your turn. Some sets word this as being allowed once tiles 7, 8 and 9 are shut, which amounts to the same thing on a 9-tile board.
**What happens when you roll doubles in Shut the Box?**
Nothing special. Only the total matters, so a double 3 is simply a 6 and is played exactly like a 4 and a 2. There is no bonus and no extra roll. The idea that doubles do something extra usually comes across from backgammon or Monopoly, and no standard Shut the Box rule set includes it.
**What happens if you roll snake eyes in Shut the Box?**
Snake eyes totals 2, so the only legal move is shutting the 2 tile. There is no combination that makes 2 once it is down, because each number appears on the box only once and 1 by itself is short. Every other total can be made more than one way, which is what makes snake eyes the most dangerous roll late in a turn.
**What happens if you roll double 6 in Shut the Box?**
Double 6 totals 12. On a 12-tile box you can shut the 12 outright, or any open combination adding to it. On a 9-tile box there is no single tile that high, so you need a combination such as 9+3, 8+4 or 5+4+3, and if none is still open the turn ends.
**What happens if you cannot make your roll?**
Your turn ends immediately. You do not get another roll, and you score the sum of the tiles still open. The next player then starts a fresh turn with all tiles reopened.
**Does shutting the box win the game instantly?**
Yes. Shutting every tile scores 0, which no other player can beat, so it wins the round outright. In pub play a player who shuts the box traditionally wins the whole game immediately and everyone else pays the forfeit.
**Is Shut the Box a game of luck or skill?**
Both. The dice are pure luck, but which tiles you choose to shut is a real decision with measurably different outcomes. Optimal play on the 9-tile board averages a final score of 11.66 and shuts the box about once every 14 games, which is far better than shutting tiles at random.
**Can you play Shut the Box by yourself?**
Yes, and solo play is one of the most common ways the game is played. On your own there is no opponent to beat, so the target is your own score: shut as many tiles as you can, and try to beat your previous best or shut the box outright. The rules for a turn are identical whether one person is playing or six.
**How do you play Shut the Box with 2 players?**
Take turns at the whole box. One player rolls and shuts tiles until they cannot make their roll, notes the total of the tiles still standing, then resets every tile and hands the box over. The lower score after both have played wins the round.
**How do you play Shut the Box with 4 players?**
Exactly as with two: each player takes the box in turn, plays until they are stuck, and records the pips left standing. With four players a round is four turns, and the lowest total wins it. Nothing about a turn changes with the number of players, which is why one box handles any group.
**Can you play Shut the Box online?**
Yes. The board at the top of this page is a full version of the game that runs in your browser, with no download, no app and no account. It plays the 9-tile and 12-tile boards, applies the single-die rule, and keeps your scores on your own device.
**Can you play Shut the Box for money?**
Not here. The game on this site is for entertainment only: nothing is staked, nothing is won and there are no prizes. Historically the game was played in pubs, where the loser of a round would traditionally stand the next round or put a small amount into a kitty, but that was always a private arrangement between players rather than part of the rules.

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## Shut the Box Strategy & Odds (Solved)

Canonical: https://shuttheboxonline.com/strategy

Shut the Box is small enough to solve completely, and this page publishes the solution: by working backwards through every one of the 512 nine-tile and 4,096 twelve-tile positions, you can compute the best move in every situation. Playing optimally on a nine-tile board the average final score is 11.66 and you shut the box roughly once every 14 games; on a twelve-tile board the average is 35.09 and a perfect game comes up about once in 268.

### The solved numbers

These are the exact results of playing perfectly. There are two different perfect strategies because there are two different goals: minimising your score, and maximising your chance of shutting every tile. They do not give the same answer.
| Board | Objective | Average final score | Chance of shutting the box | Roughly |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 9 tiles | Lowest average score | 11.66 | 6.95% | 1 in 14 games |
| 9 tiles | Best chance of a perfect game | 12.10 | 7.42% | 1 in 13 games |
| 12 tiles | Lowest average score | 35.09 | 0.37% | 1 in 268 games |
| 12 tiles | Best chance of a perfect game | 35.35 | 0.39% | 1 in 254 games |
The gap between the two objectives is small but real: chasing a perfect game costs about 0.44 points of average score on the nine-tile board and buys roughly half a percentage point of extra perfect-game chance. If you are playing a scored game, minimise your score. If you are playing pub rules where only shutting the box matters, take the other line.

### The two strategies disagree more often than you would think

On the nine-tile board the two optimal strategies choose different moves in 267 distinct positions; on the twelve-tile board they differ in 1,098. The clearest example happens on the very first roll.
| You roll | To minimise your score, shut | To chase a perfect game, shut |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 10 | 1 + 9 | 4 + 6 |
| 11 | 2 + 9 | 5 + 6 |
Both lines shut two tiles worth ten points, so they look equivalent. They are not. Taking 1+9 clears the awkward 9 and banks the safest possible single point, which is what you want when every point counts. Taking 4+6 instead keeps the small tiles 1, 2 and 3 available, and those small tiles are what let you finish the last few points of a perfect game. The nine is a liability for your score and an asset for your perfect-game chances.
For every roll other than 10 and 11 on a full nine-tile board, both strategies simply shut the single tile matching your roll.

### Practical rules of thumb

You will not memorise 512 positions at the pub. These heuristics capture most of the value of optimal play, and you can check any of them against the hint engine built into the game on this site.
- Shut the high tiles early. A 9 left open late is nine points and needs a specific roll to clear; a 1 left open is one point and clears easily.
- Get under the single-die threshold. Once every open tile is 6 or lower you may roll one die, which sharply improves your chance of matching. Moves that clear 7, 8 and 9 quickly are worth more than they look.
- Prefer fewer tiles when the points are equal, with one exception. Shutting two tiles instead of three usually leaves you more combinations, but keep the small tiles 1, 2 and 3 if you are chasing a perfect game, because they are what finish it.
- Avoid leaving a lone 7, 8 or 9. With two dice a single high tile can only be matched by that exact total, and 7 is the only total that comes up more often than one roll in seven.
- On the 12-tile board, accept that a perfect game is rare. At roughly 1 in 268 even with perfect play, the twelve-tile board is a scoring game, not a shut-the-box game.

### How these numbers were computed

Every figure on this page is reproducible. The game is solved by backward induction: the value of a position is the probability-weighted average over all dice rolls of the best move available from it, evaluated recursively down to the empty board.
- Every subset of open tiles is a state: 512 on the nine-tile board, 4,096 on the twelve-tile board.
- Two-dice totals are weighted by their real probabilities (7 comes up 6 times in 36; 2 and 12 once each), and single-die rolls are weighted 1 in 6 each.
- A roll with no legal combination ends the turn, and that state contributes its own tile sum to the average.
- The same solver runs in your browser on this site, so the hint engine gives the genuinely optimal move for your exact position rather than a rule of thumb.
- Assumptions: two six-sided dice, one combination shut per roll, the single-die rule once all open tiles are 6 or lower, and scoring as the sum of open tiles. Different house rules change the numbers.

### Strategy questions

**What are the odds of shutting the box?**
With optimal play on the nine-tile board, about 7.4% (roughly one game in 13) if you play specifically to maximise that chance, or 6.95% (one in 14) if you play to minimise your score instead. On the twelve-tile board it is about 0.39%, or one game in 254. Casual players who shut tiles without thinking do considerably worse than these figures.
**How do you win at Shut the Box every time?**
You cannot. Shut the Box is a dice game, and even flawless play shuts the box only about once in 13 or 14 games on the nine-tile board. What optimal play does guarantee is the best possible average: 11.66 points on nine tiles. Any claim of a method that always wins is false.
**Is it better to shut one big tile or several small ones?**
Usually the bigger tile, because high tiles are hard to clear later and cost the most if left open. The exception is when you are playing for a perfect game: keeping 1, 2 and 3 available is what lets you finish the last few points, which is why optimal perfect-game play shuts 4+6 rather than 1+9 on an opening roll of 10.
**Does the single-die rule really matter?**
Substantially. Rolling one die gives you six equally likely totals from 1 to 6, all matchable by a single small tile, instead of eleven totals from 2 to 12. Reaching that position with tiles still open is one of the main goals of good play, which is why clearing 7, 8 and 9 early is worth more than their face value suggests.

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## Shut the Box Variants & Other Names

Canonical: https://shuttheboxonline.com/variants

The two standard boards are 9 tiles (1–9) and 12 tiles (1–12); the nine-tile board is the traditional pub version and the twelve-tile board is longer and much harder to shut. Beyond board size, the common variations are how you score the open tiles, whether a single die is allowed, and how many combinations you may shut per roll.

### 9 tiles vs 12 tiles

The nine-tile board is the classic game and the one most sets use. The twelve-tile board adds tiles 10, 11 and 12, which cannot be cleared by any single two-dice roll below their value and are therefore much harder to shut. A perfect game goes from roughly 1 in 14 to roughly 1 in 268.
|  | 9-tile board | 12-tile board |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tiles | 1–9 | 1–12 |
| Worst score | 45 | 78 |
| Average score, optimal play | 11.66 | 35.09 |
| Chance of shutting the box | about 1 in 14 | about 1 in 268 |
| Typical use | Pub game, classic sets | Longer games, family play |

### Common house rules

- Digit scoring: read the open tiles as digits instead of summing them, so 5 and 7 left open scores 57 rather than 12. This heavily punishes leaving a high tile open.
- No single-die rule: some sets require two dice for the whole turn, which makes shutting the box significantly harder.
- Golf scoring across rounds: play a fixed number of rounds and add up the scores, lowest total wins.
- Knock-out: every player takes one turn, the highest score drops out, and you repeat until one player remains.
- Forfeit play: the first player to shut the box wins immediately and everyone else pays an agreed forfeit, the traditional pub format.

### Other names for Shut the Box

The same game is sold and played under many regional names, which is why a set you grew up with may not have said Shut the Box on the lid.
| Name | Where it is used |
| --- | --- |
| Shut the Box | United Kingdom and United States, where it is the standard name |
| Canoga | United States, particularly older sets |
| Klackers | Common commercial name |
| Batten Down the Hatches | Nautical-themed sets |
| Trick-Track | France and Belgium |
| Zeeslag | Netherlands |
| High Rollers | Some American sets |

### Questions about variants

**Should I play the 9-tile or the 12-tile version?**
Play the nine-tile board if you want the traditional game and a realistic chance of shutting the box, roughly one game in 14 with good play. Play the twelve-tile board if you want longer games and do not mind that a perfect game is a once-in-268-games event. You can switch between both on this site.
**Is Canoga the same game as Shut the Box?**
Yes. Canoga is one of several regional names for the same game, alongside Klackers, Batten Down the Hatches, Trick-Track and Zeeslag. The rules are the same: roll two dice and shut tiles adding to your total.
**Is Close the Box the same game as Shut the Box?**
Yes. Close the Box, Shut the Door and Klackers are all the same game under different names. Double Shutter is a genuinely different one: it has two rows of tiles, so a number can be shut twice.

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## Printable Shut the Box Score Sheet

Canonical: https://shuttheboxonline.com/printable-score-sheet

This page is a free, print-ready Shut the Box score sheet: six player columns, ten rounds and a totals row, with a combination reference card underneath. Print it straight from your browser with Ctrl+P or Cmd+P. There is nothing to download and no sign-up.

### Score sheet

Write each player’s name across the top and their score for each round below. The lowest cumulative total wins, and a round scored 0 means that player shut the box.
| Round | Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 | Player 4 | Player 5 | Player 6 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 3 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 4 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 5 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 6 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 7 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 8 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 9 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 10 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Total |  |  |  |  |  |  |

### How to score a session with this sheet

The sheet works for the usual scoring, where a round is worth the tiles you failed to shut, and it works for the two common house variations as well.
Standard play: each player takes a turn, and the number written in their column is the sum of the tiles still standing when their turn ends. Ten rounds is a normal session, though nothing stops you playing five or twenty. Add the columns at the end and the lowest total wins, which catches people out the first time because most games reward a high score and this one punishes it.
Some households play that shutting the box ends the session immediately rather than scoring zero for the round. If you play it that way, write 0 in the column and draw a line under the sheet, because there is nothing left to decide.
The other common variation is playing to a target instead of a fixed number of rounds. Pick a number, 45 is a reasonable one on the 9-tile board, and the first player to exceed it is out. That version lasts longer and is better with four or more people, since nobody sits out for long.
**What happens if two players tie?**
Play a single extra round between the tied players only. It rarely ties twice, and if it does, play another. There is no traditional tie-break for Shut the Box, so any method the table agrees on is as legitimate as any other.
**Does this sheet work for the 12-tile box?**
Yes. The scoring is identical and only the numbers get larger, since a bad round on a 12-tile board can leave you with a total in the fifties. The combination card below covers the 9-tile board, because that is the board most sets use.
**How many players can use one sheet?**
Six columns are printed, which covers most tables. With more than six, print a second sheet and carry the round numbers across, or give each player their own row on a shared sheet and total downward instead.

### Printing it so it comes out usable

A score sheet that needs a magnifying glass is worse than a scrap of paper, so a couple of print settings are worth checking.
Print in portrait on A4 or US Letter and the table fills the page at a size you can write in with a normal pen. Turn background graphics on if your browser offers the option, since the header row is much easier to find at a glance when it is shaded. Scaling can stay at 100%, and if your printer insists on shrinking to fit, 95% still leaves room to write.
The combination card underneath is worth printing even if you never use the score grid. Beginners routinely miss that a roll of 10 can be shut as 1+2+3+4, and having the list on the table settles that argument before it starts.

### Combination reference card

Every way to make each dice total from tiles 1–9, so you never miss a legal move. Keep it with the box.
| Total | Ways to make it from tiles 1–9 |
| --- | --- |
| 2 | 2 |
| 3 | 3 · 1+2 |
| 4 | 4 · 1+3 |
| 5 | 5 · 1+4 · 2+3 |
| 6 | 6 · 1+5 · 2+4 · 1+2+3 |
| 7 | 7 · 1+6 · 2+5 · 3+4 · 1+2+4 |
| 8 | 8 · 1+7 · 2+6 · 3+5 · 1+2+5 · 1+3+4 |
| 9 | 9 · 1+8 · 2+7 · 3+6 · 4+5 · 1+2+6 · 1+3+5 · 2+3+4 |
| 10 | 1+9 · 2+8 · 3+7 · 4+6 · 1+2+7 · 1+3+6 · 1+4+5 · 2+3+5 · 1+2+3+4 |
| 11 | 2+9 · 3+8 · 4+7 · 5+6 · 1+2+8 · 1+3+7 · 1+4+6 · 2+3+6 · 2+4+5 · 1+2+3+5 |
| 12 | 3+9 · 4+8 · 5+7 · 1+2+9 · 1+3+8 · 1+4+7 · 1+5+6 · 2+3+7 · 2+4+6 · 3+4+5 · 1+2+3+6 · 1+2+4+5 |

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## About Shut the Box Online

Canonical: https://shuttheboxonline.com/about

Shut the Box Online is a free browser version of Shut the Box, built and maintained by John Weeks, a web developer. There is no sign-up, no download and no paywall. The game loads and you play, and the rules and strategy pages are written by hand rather than generated.

### Who runs Shut the Box Online

This site is built and run by John Weeks, a web developer who designs, codes and maintains every site in the network himself.
I am a web developer. I build for the web full time, mostly TypeScript and PHP on the server, React and Tailwind CSS on the front end, and I build and run my own sites rather than only shipping other people's.
This network came out of a simple frustration: the free version of whatever you were looking for was slow, buried under adverts, gated behind an account, or built once and abandoned. I wanted the version I would actually want to use, instant and readable on a phone with no sign-up, and then to write the explanation properly so anyone can get the answer in one page.
Every site here is a single game on its own domain. I write the code, the rules, the strategy and the reference tables myself, and I keep them current. There is no content farm behind this and no AI-generated filler: if a page states an odds figure or a scoring rule, it came from a solver I wrote or a primary source I can point you at.
Shut the Box was the first site in this network, and it went first because the game is small enough to solve completely. That made it a fair test of the whole idea. If a site can tell you the genuinely best move in a position instead of a rule of thumb about it, it is worth more than the dozens of versions that only roll the dice for you.

### What this site is trying to be

The goal is simple: the best free version of Shut the Box on the web, and the clearest explanation of how it works.
- Both boards, 9 tiles and 12 tiles, and two players sharing one device.
- A hint that solves the position rather than applying a heuristic to it.
- Dice from the browser cryptographic random generator with rejection sampling, so no face is even slightly favoured.
- The odds published with the working shown, under a licence that lets a teacher reuse them.
- Rules and strategy written for someone who has never seen the game, not padded out for length.

### How the site is paid for, and what it knows about you

Adverts pay the hosting and the time. Being straight about that, and about the data side, matters more than pretending the site runs on goodwill.
The site is free and always will be. Display advertising is what will pay for it, and the slots go around the play area rather than over it. An advert will never cover the game or interrupt you mid-turn.
Your game statistics (streaks, best scores, preferences) are stored in your own browser using localStorage. They are not sent to me, there is no account, and clearing your browser data clears them permanently.
Analytics tell me which pages are useful. Advertising has not started yet, and when it does the advertising partners will set their own cookies. The privacy page lists what is collected either way, and how to opt out of it.

### What makes this version different

Shut the Box is a solved game, so a version of it can be exactly right rather than approximately right, and this one is built that way.
- Both standard boards, 9 tiles and 12 tiles, plus two-player on one device.
- A hint engine that shows the genuinely optimal move, computed by backward induction rather than a rule of thumb.
- A solved-game analysis with numbers you can reproduce, published under a Creative Commons licence so teachers and writers can reuse it with attribution.
The dice use your browser’s cryptographic random number generator with rejection sampling, so every face is exactly equally likely. Nothing is weighted, and there is no house edge because there is no house.
Your scores, streaks and settings are stored only in your own browser using localStorage. There is no account system and none of it is sent anywhere.

### Corrections and contact

The fastest way to reach me is email: john.weeks.dev@gmail.com. I read everything sent there.
**Who created Shut the Box Online?**
John Weeks, a web developer, built and maintains it. The code, the game logic and the written rules and strategy are all his own work.
**Is Shut the Box Online free?**
Yes, completely. There is no account, no download, no trial and no paid tier. Display advertising covers the costs.
**Do I need to create an account or install anything?**
No. The game runs in your browser. Your scores and preferences are saved on your own device, so nothing needs to be signed into.
**Can I use the rules, tables or score sheets on my own site?**
Yes, with attribution and a link back. The reference data is published for reuse. That is the point of writing it out properly.
**I found a mistake in the rules. What should I do?**
Email john.weeks.dev@gmail.com and say what is wrong. Rule variations differ by region and household, so specifics help, and genuine corrections get made.

---

## Privacy Policy

Canonical: https://shuttheboxonline.com/privacy

Shut the Box Online has no accounts and no server-side database, so it collects no personal information directly. Your game progress is stored in your own browser and never sent anywhere. This page sets out the analytics and advertising technologies the site does use, what they collect, and how to opt out.

### The short version

If you read nothing else on this page, this is the substance of it.
- There is no account, no login and no sign-up form. Nothing is submitted to us.
- Your scores, streaks and settings are saved in your own browser and stay on your device.
- The site is free because it shows adverts. Advertising and analytics partners set cookies.
- Advertising has not started on this site yet. When it does, visitors in the UK, EEA and Switzerland will be asked for consent before any advertising cookie is set, and will be able to change that answer at any time.
- We do not sell personal information, and we have nothing to sell. We hold no database of visitors.

### What is stored in your browser

Game data is kept locally with the browser’s localStorage. It is not personal information and we cannot read it.
Your best scores, games played, streaks and preferences are saved in your own browser using localStorage. This is a storage area belonging to your device, not to us: the data is never transmitted, we have no way to request it, and it is not linked to any identifier.
Clearing your browser data, or using private browsing, removes it permanently. There is no backup and no recovery, which is the trade for not asking you to create an account.

### Analytics

Aggregate measurement only: how many people came, and which pages were useful.
The site uses Google Analytics to understand overall traffic: how many visits there were, which pages were read, roughly where in the world visitors were, and whether the pages loaded quickly. It reports in aggregate and is not used to identify you.
Our hosting provider also records standard request information at the network edge: the page requested, the response status, the browser type and the country. This is the equivalent of a web server log, it is what tells us which search and AI crawlers are reading the site, and it contains no name, email or account.

### Advertising

Adverts pay for the hosting and the time. This is exactly what they do and do not do.
No adverts run on this site today. The plan is to fund it with display advertising through Google AdSense, and the honest version of this section describes what that will mean rather than pretending it is already happening. Google and its advertising partners may then use cookies or similar technologies to serve adverts, to measure whether an advert was seen and, where you have consented, to choose adverts based on your previous visits to this and other sites.
Adverts are placed around the game, never over it, and never interrupt a turn. That is a design rule, not a promise we can quietly drop: an advert covering the play area would make the site worse at the one thing it exists to do.
You can opt out of personalised Google advertising at any time through Google’s Ads Settings. Blocking or deleting cookies in your browser settings works too, and the game will keep running normally if you do.

### Consent, and how to change your mind

What is set today, and what changes on the day advertising starts.
Right now the only non-essential cookies here belong to analytics, and there is no advertising and no consent notice. On the day adverts are switched on, visitors in the United Kingdom, the European Economic Area and Switzerland will get a consent notice before any advertising cookie is set. It records your choices and can be reopened whenever you want to change them, so you are never locked into a single decision.
Essential storage, the localStorage your game progress lives in, is not covered by that notice, because the site cannot function as a game without it and it never leaves your device.

### Your rights over your data

Under the UK GDPR, the EU GDPR and similar laws you have rights over personal data held about you, and the honest answer here is that we hold almost none.
We hold no account records, no email list and no profile of you. There is nothing on our side to export, correct or delete, because there is no database of visitors to hold it in.
Where personal data is processed, it is processed by the third parties named above (Google Analytics and the advertising partners) under their own privacy policies. Requests about that data are best made to them directly, and their policies set out how. Google’s covers both its analytics and its advertising products.
If you have a privacy question, or you believe something on this site is handling data incorrectly, email john.weeks.dev@gmail.com and it will be looked at properly.

### Children

This is a general-audience site, not a service directed at children.
The games here are traditional family games and people of all ages play them, but the site is not directed at children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. Since there are no accounts and no forms, there is no route by which a child could submit personal information to us in the first place.
If you believe a child has somehow provided personal information through this site, contact us and we will act on it.

### External links and changes to this policy

Pages here sometimes link to other sites: source material, references, and the other sites in this network. Those sites have their own privacy policies and this one does not cover them.
If this policy changes materially, the date below changes with it. Substantive changes are made to the page itself rather than announced and forgotten.
**Do you sell my personal information?**
No. We hold no database of visitors, so there is nothing to sell. Advertising partners operate under their own policies, and you can withdraw consent for them at any time.
**Do I have to accept cookies to play?**
No. Declining non-essential cookies does not affect the game. Your progress is saved in your own browser either way, and that storage never leaves your device.
**How do I delete the data this site has about me?**
Clear your browser data and it is gone. That is genuinely all of it on our side. There is no account to close and no record held on a server.

---

## Terms of Use

Canonical: https://shuttheboxonline.com/terms

Shut the Box Online is free to use, with no account and no subscription. These terms cover what you can do with the site and what it does and does not promise. They are meant to be read, so they are written in plain English.

### Using the site

Play as much as you like. There is no account to breach and no quota to exceed.
You may use this site for personal, non-commercial enjoyment, and you may link to any page on it freely. No permission is needed to link, embed a link, or recommend the site.
What you may not do is the obvious short list: interfere with the site or its security, attempt to disrupt it for other people, scrape it at a volume that degrades it for others, or represent it as your own.

### Reusing the rules, tables and score sheets

The reference material is published so it can be reused. Attribution is the only condition.
The reference data on this site (scoring charts, odds tables, printable score sheets and the computed figures behind them) is published under a Creative Commons Attribution licence. You may copy it, reprint it, teach from it and build on it, including commercially, provided you credit Shut the Box Online and link back to the page you took it from.
That is a deliberate choice, not an oversight. This material was produced so people could use it; a table nobody is allowed to quote is a table that helps nobody.
The site’s own software, layout, graphics and branding are not covered by that licence and remain the property of the site owner.

### Independence and trademarks

Shut the Box is a traditional game. This site is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to any commercial publisher.
Shut the Box is played in many households and regions with local variations, and this site documents it as the traditional game it is. Where a name is also used commercially by a company, it is used here descriptively, to say which game the page is about. No affiliation, sponsorship or endorsement is claimed or implied.
All trademarks referenced remain the property of their respective owners.

### What this site does not promise

It is a free game, offered as it is.
The site is provided "as is", without warranty of any kind. It may occasionally be unavailable, a browser update may break something, and rule variations differ between regions and households, so the rules described here may not match the version played at your kitchen table.
Nothing here is legal, financial or professional advice, and the site is not liable for any loss arising from its use to the extent the law allows. If you find a mistake, the useful response is to tell us so it can be corrected, and corrections are made.

### Changes and contact

These terms may be updated; the date below changes when they are. Questions go to john.weeks.dev@gmail.com.
**Can I print the score sheets for my games night?**
Yes, that is exactly what they are for. Print as many as you like, for home, school or a club.
**Can I use the odds tables in a book, video or article?**
Yes, including commercially, as long as you credit Shut the Box Online and link to the page you took the figures from.
**Can I copy the site itself?**
No. The reference data is openly licensed; the software, design and branding are not.

---

## Contact

Canonical: https://shuttheboxonline.com/contact

Email is the way to reach a real person here: **john.weeks.dev@gmail.com**. John Weeks builds and maintains the site and reads everything sent to that address. There is no contact form, no ticket queue and no support bot.

### What to write about

A one-line subject that names the page or the topic gets a faster and more useful answer.
- **Rule corrections.** The most valuable reason to write. Shut the Box varies by region and household, so say which rule, which page, and how you play it. Specifics get acted on.
- **A bug in the game.** Tell us the browser and what happened. A game that breaks in a browser update gets fixed.
- **Reusing the data.** The score sheets, tables and odds are licensed for reuse with attribution. Write if you want to check how to credit it, or need a cut of the data we have not published.
- **Privacy questions or requests.** See the privacy policy first. The short answer is that there is no account and no database. Write if anything is unclear.
- **Press and research.** Happy to help with quotes, figures or background on the game and how the numbers were produced.

### Who you are emailing

This site is built and run by John Weeks, a web developer who designs, codes and maintains every site in the network himself.
John Weeks is a web developer who writes the code, the rules and the strategy content on every site in this network. There is no editorial team behind the address and no agency. Messages go to the person who can actually change the page.
Replies usually come within a few days. Corrections are prioritised over everything else, because a wrong rule on a reference page is the one problem that makes the whole site less useful.
**Is there a contact form?**
No. These are static pages with no server behind them, so a form would have nowhere to submit to without adding a third-party service that collects more data than the rest of the site does. Email is simpler and more private.
**How quickly will I get a reply?**
Usually within a few days. Rule corrections and bug reports get looked at first.
**I think a rule on this site is wrong. What should I include?**
The page, the specific rule, and how you play it, including where you play it, since regional variants are usually the explanation. If it checks out, the page is updated and credited.