Shut the Box

Shut the Box, flaps game, folding board or folding is a dice game that is played preferably in a group of two to four people.

The origin of the flaps game is not known, but there are indications from the 19th century from the Normandie, in which the game was very popular especially among sailors (see David Parlett: The Oxford History of Board Games ); from there, later moved to England, where it lives on as a popular entertainment in the pubs.

Usually a box with nine numbered flaps is used, but there are also speakers with ten or twelve dampers; instead of using a folding box, it is the number 1 but can just as well - 9 on a piece of paper and wipe off.

The game

The basic rules

A game consists of several rounds. Each player comes once in each round of the series. If a player is on the course, so first all doors are opened; then he begins his game with two dice and closes the appropriate valves.

For the closing of the flaps, the rule is that each decomposition of the eyes sum may be availed. That is, the two dice example, a 6 and a 3, it can be any decomposition of the eyes sum 9, ie 9, 1 8, 2 7, 3 6, 4 5, 1 2 6, 1 3 5 ... select and close the doors with the corresponding numbers.

When the sum of the outstanding flaps six or fewer results, the player sets his train continued with only one instead of two dice. The train terminates when no more flap can be closed.

Now its (negative ) score, his penalty score, determined to numbers of non-closed flaps are added, ie the flaps with the numbers 1, 5 and 9 are left open, this 1 5 9 = 15 points counts. Then the next player on roll.

The goal of each player is to close all doors ( Shut the box ) and write no minus points.

There are so many rounds played until all players except one a penalty score of 45 or have achieved more points ( 45 is the sum of all the flaps, because 1 2 ... 9 = 45).

The minus points will be constantly added, so that the individual players are eliminated one by one and the last survivor wins.

Variants

Game end

It is sometimes also played in such a way that a player who is able to close all doors, is immediately declared the winner of the game.

Penalty score

The numbers of non-closed valves are read from left to right as a number, ie the flaps with the numbers 1, 5 and 9 are left open, so this counts 159 points.

Control for closing the door

It may be concluded only those valves that comply with either the sum or the individual values ​​on the two dice; that is, a player throws a 6 and a 3, he can either close the door with the number 9, or the flaps with the numbers 3 and 6.

Use in the classroom

Very well suited this game as a learning game for teaching mathematics for the decomposition of numbers in elementary school. Presented with instructions to build yourself it was in the educational journal TU: Journal for Technology in Education, (1993 ) 68, pp. 34-36 by Thomas Aberle as a flap board.

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