Shut the Box variants and other names
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.