Long before smartphones or even pinball machines, there was Shut the Box — a dice-and-numbers game with roots deep in the pubs and parlors of Europe. Believed to have originated in 18th-century Normandy, France, the game quickly became a favorite pastime for sailors, soldiers, and pub-goers who liked their entertainment simple, strategic, and occasionally fueled by a pint or two.
Also known by charmingly rustic names like Tric-Trac, Canoga, or Batten Down the Hatches, this humble wooden box has found its way across centuries and continents. Though it’s now sold in polished sets from toy shops to taverns, the basic mechanics remain delightfully unchanged.
Gameplay Basics:
The game consists of a box with numbered tiles (usually 1 through 9) and a pair of dice. Players take turns rolling the dice, then flipping down the numbers that add up to the total rolled. For example, roll a 7 — and you might “shut” 7, or 3 and 4, or 5 and 2, and so on. The goal? Close (“shut”) every number before the dice run out of luck. Once no combination remains, the round ends and the remaining numbers are tallied — the lowest score wins.
It’s a perfect blend of math and chance, strategy and superstition — a game easy enough for children but addictive enough for adults to play late into the night. Whether you call it Shut the Box, Canoga, or just “that game at the pub,” it remains a small miracle of wooden simplicity — proof that all you really need for timeless fun are dice, numbers, and the thrill of one more roll.
Modern Resurgence:
Today, Shut the Box enjoys a quiet renaissance — tucked into the corners of craft breweries, family game nights, and even math classrooms where it doubles as a fun teaching tool. In an age of screens and scrolling, there’s something beautifully grounding about this old tavern game. The dice clatter, the wood creaks, and for a moment, it’s just you, the numbers, and the satisfying sound of flipping down the final tile. Simple. Human. Timeless.
Interested? Watch the video below to see how it's played and grab the game yourself over on Amazon.
This centuries old game is great for teaching kids basic addition and subtraction. It helps to build mental math skills and is really fun to play.
Other Names: Blitz, Bakarat, Canoga, Klackers, Batten Down the Hatches, Kingoball, Trictrac, Cut Throat, Jackpot.
For 1-4 players
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