Customer Reviews

Front Porch Classics - Circa Shut the Box

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Great fun for those who like dice, skill and chance. The box makes it handy to carry around - a good "front porch game" as they advertise. The box was not sturdy enough though, as it started to separate at the seams. It is holding together so far, though.

Great game but quality leaves something to be desired. Wood box was very poorly put together with blotches of wood putty in corners. Numbers flimsy and difficult to move. I would recommend finding a different manufacturer of this great game as it is not unique to them.

The game itself is great fun, but this particular presentation is awful. This is a faux-antique box with very cheap parts that fall apart pretty quickly. The dowel holding the tiles is bendy and spins freely: often you will accidentally flip down 3 or 4 tiles at once instead of just the one you wanted. The box is much deeper than others and can be difficult to see into to read the dice, especially when they're against the side. This also means it is not really possible for more than one or two people to watch. The chain tends to get caught up in the tiles when closing. The label on the inside of the lid is glued in and wrinkled. Overall it is a cheaply made game and there seem to be much better choices available for the same price.

The instructions for the game are adequate and easy to follow, but we never got to play the game, because we had to return it. I do honestly believe this game has significant educational value and would be very fun to play with any number of people, and is attractive to have sitting out on the coffee table where it can be easily accessed.

The first game sent was defective...the numbers 2 and 3 were mounted upside down on the bar in the box. I contacted the company, Go Hastings, about the issue and asked that they send me another as a replacement after I returned the defective on. I was informed by them that they would send a return address label for me to use to return the game, which they did, but that I would have to re-order the game through Amazon, they could NOT send me another as a replacement.

I returned the game to them, they acknowledged it's return and crediting my account. I ordered another of the same game through Amazon. When this one arrived it had corrosion on the metal surfaces on the box, the chain on the inside of the lid was rusted, and there were approximate 1/4" round dots of what appeared to be a saw dust like substance all over the bottom liner on the inside of the box.

I notified them again, and they told me the same thing. I am currently in the process of sending the game back to them....I will NOT be ordering another, 2 out of 2 of poor quality...glad I did not pay the full price of $20!

I highly recommend this game but get a different version. The worst part of it is that the dowel is starting to bow and we can't flip the numbers over any more. The stickers on the outside of the box are coming off which isn't a big deal but the look isn't as nice anymore.

The box is VERY SMALL. It doesn't give you much room to roll the dice very well. Disappointed in the size, my grandson has a Shut the Box, but much larger.

We bought this Shut-The-Box and the Melissa & Doug Shut-the-Box version after playing the game at a recent family reunion. The Melissa & Doug version is slightly larger and a little higher quality than this one. This is a great game for almost any age and can include almost any number of players. Here are my observations:

Game Play (Simplified) -
* Players roll two dice (at first) and flip down numbers that equal the sum of the total rolled
* Some rule variants allow the use of only one die after 7, 8, & 9 are flipped down
* Each player continues until he can no longer flip down a tile and then adds up the total of the remaining numbers
* The box passes to the next player and the winner is the one with the lowest score (unless someone "shuts the box" and automatically win by successfully flipping all of the numbers down)

This version includes -
* A Good Looking Game Box; this has an intentionally rustic appearance, but it will not stand up to much abuse
* Dice; the dice are small and simple appearing

This is a very fun party game and even younger players can quickly learn to play.

Recommended!

CFH

Much smaller than I thought it would be. It is a small replica of the origional game. Even with its smaller size it is playable.

Shut the Box is an enjoyable game for adults and would be a great activity for kids working on their addition skills. It's also got some cultural / historic value since it's been around for hundreds of years, originating in 12th century France or England. The product quality is good, durable, and attractive.

This is a great game for young people to play and do math at the same time. My grandchildren really enjoy it.