16 mm six-sided dice, set of 12Price: About $8, roughly. Wooden Shut the BoxPrice: About $25, roughly.
Shut the Box, in wood
Nine hinged tiles, two dice and a lid you close in triumph. It looks good on a shelf, which is half the reason to own it.
- Good for
- Shut the Box · Gifts
- Skip it if
- You are buying for a toddler: the little tiles and dice are easy to lose.
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Our take
Shut the Box is a very old pub game: a wooden box with nine hinged tiles and two dice. Roll, then close tiles that add up to your total, until you cannot, or until you shut them all.
It is a good-looking thing, and a good gift. The wooden version looks right on a shelf, and the clack of the tiles is half the pleasure.
Small hands can lose the little tiles, so for toddlers pick something else. For everyone else, it is a long-lasting little game.
Quick answers
- Do I need special dice?
No. Standard six-sided dice work for nearly every game on Pips. Special dice only matter for Left Right Center.
- How many dice should I buy?
A set of twelve covers every dice game here, with spares for the one that rolls under the sofa.
- Can I play without buying anything?
Often, yes. Borrow dice from another game and print one of our free score sheets.
Also consider
Back to the shelf →16 mm six-sided dice, set of 12Price: About $8, roughly. 
Liar's Dice set with 5 cupsPrice: About $25, roughly. Liar's Dice for a full table
Yahtzee ClassicPrice: About $12, roughly.