Shut the Box Score Calculator

🎲 Shut the Box Score Calculator

Compare finished boxes by open-tile score, house-rule adjustments, and the lower winning line.

Enter each player's open tiles as a comma-separated list, choose the box size, and the calculator will total the score, apply your house rules, and show the match gap.

📍 Presets

⚙ Score Inputs

Box size

Pick the tile set before entering the open tiles.

Player A open tiles

Use commas, spaces, or slashes. Duplicates are ignored automatically.

Player B open tiles

Lower scores win. Empty means a shut box.

Shut bonus

Applied only when a player closes every tile.

Open-box penalty

Added when one or more tiles remain open.

Target score

Use this to compare how far each player finished from the goal.

Rounds played

Used for per-round pace and match context.

Tie-break rule

Used only when adjusted scores are tied.

Player A adjusted score

lower is better

Raw 0 | 0 open | 0.0 per round

Player B adjusted score

lower is better

Raw 0 | 0 open | 0.0 per round

Score gap

adjusted-score difference

Lower score wins by the gap shown here

Leader

Draw

after tie-break rules

Tiebreak: Raw score

📊 Full Breakdown

Measure	Player A	Player B	Match note

🎯 Shut the Box Component Grid

Classic box

Fast pub-game format with nine numbered tiles.

Max raw score 45 | simple endgame pace

Extended box

Longer chase with more tiles and more score spread.

Max raw score 78 | common house variation

Perfect shut

All tiles closed before the hand ends.

Best possible score | applies shut bonus

45 / 78

Max raw score

Every tile still open at the end of the hand.

Use this to gauge how close each finish is to the ceiling.

📐 Reference Tables

Tile	Points	Common role	Comment
1	1	Low anchor	Easiest tile to clear
2	2	Light cover	Pairs well with 1 or 3
3	3	Mid-low cover	Useful in early turns
4	4	Balanced cover	Strong in mixed runs
5	5	Solid cover	Often survives into endgame
6	6	Hot tile	High-value pressure tile
7	7	Heavy tile	Common tension point
8	8	Heavy tile	Pairs with 1, 2, 3, or 4
9	9	Heavy tile	Big finish swing in 9-tile play
10	10	Heavy tile	Useful in 12-tile mode
11	11	Heavy tile	Late-game pressure tile
12	12	Top tile	Highest single cost in 12-tile mode

Finish band	Range	Feeling	Comment
Shut box	0	Perfect	Best possible finish
Elite	1% to 10% of max	Excellent	Very low residue
Strong	11% to 25% of max	Good	Usually a winning line
Mixed	26% to 50% of max	Playable	Middle-of-the-pack finish
High	51%+ of max	Rough	Many tiles left open

Rule set	Score effect	Best for	Comment
Standard	No bonus or penalty	Quick score checks	Pure open-tile total
Bonus close	Subtract shut bonus on a perfect box	Pub scoring	Rewards a clean finish
Open penalty	Add a penalty when tiles remain open	Tournament play	Makes missed closes hurt more
Target chase	Compare each score to a target line	Match play	Useful for league sheets

Common shape	Open tiles	Typical score	Comment
Shut box	None	0	Ideal finish line
Small residue	1, 2, or 3 tiles	1 to 9	Usually a strong hand
Mid residue	4, 5, or 6 tiles	10 to 24	Common in casual play
Leaky finish	7+ tiles	25+	Hard to win with

💡 Practical Tips

Start with raw score

Total the open tiles first, then add or subtract house rules so both players are judged on the same line.

Tie-break from the top

If scores are level, the highest open tile is the quickest way to spot the safer board before you compare the rest.

Use this calculator to total shut the box scores, apply house rules, and compare two finished boards fast. Lower adjusted scores win, and the breakdown shows exactly where the edge comes from.

Scoring in a game of Shut the Box depend on the sum of the remaining open tiles. When player roll the dice and knock down tiles that match the total rolled, some of the tiles will be knocked down and others will remain upright. The number of the upright tiles are the score for that round.

The lower the total of these upright tiles, the more better; a score of zero indicate that the player have knocked down all of the tiles. House rules can be established to alter the game of Shut the Box in any way. For instance, one house rule could state that players receives a bonus for scoring a perfect score (of zero).

Scoring and House Rules for Shut the Box

In this case, the perfect score of zero would provide the player with a negative score. Another possible house rule is one that introduce a penalty for each of the upright tiles. In this instance, the upright tiles would increase the score of the player more than the value of the tile indicate.

Finally, players could establish a target score for the game, and calculate the per-round average score for each player. In the case of a tie between players, tiebreak rules can be employed to determine a winner. For instance, in the case of a tie in the scores of the players, the number of open tiles can be counted

Shut the Box Score Calculator