Dart Games: The Ultimate Guide

Darts is a game that can be enjoyed by all, no matter what your level of experience and even by those who have never thrown a dart before. The most commonly played darts game is 501, which is the game you will see being played by the professional players on television.

Beyond a traditional dart game of 501, there is plenty of other fun darts games you can also play that will be perfect for you and a group of friends or with your family. From popular games such as ‘Around The Clock’ and ‘Halve It’, to lesser known ones including ‘Sudden Death’ and ‘Hare And Hounds’, there is a great choice to choose from and the best part is, all you need to play them is a set of darts and a standard dartboard!

In this article we will go through a variety of different dart board games, so you will have plenty of choice the next time you want to play for fun with your friends or mix up your practice routines at home on your own.

Darts Games

Our aim for this list of darts games on this page is to be as comprehensive as possible, so you will always find something new and exciting to try out. The darts games to play in this blog can be played by a different number of players, and may also have different variations to how they are played depending on where you are from. Below you will find our list of games and you can click on each one individually so you can go straight to that particular game to find out the rules on how to play it.

 

List of Darts Games:-

51 By 5’s

American Cricket

English Cricket

Around The Clock

180 Around The Clock

Baseball

Chase The Dragon

Follow The Leader

Football

Grand National

Halve-It

Hare And Hounds

Killer

Blind Killer

Knockout

Loop

Mickey Mouse

Mulligan

Nine Lives

Prisoner

Scam

Shanghai

Snooker

Sudden Death

The ’01 Darts Games

Tic-Tac-Toe

 

51 By 5’s

Players required: 2 or more

The dart game 51 By 5’s, also known in some circles as All 5’s, can be played by just two players or in a big group of people. Once a playing order has been established, either by each throwing a dart at the bullseye, or going off a random draw, players will take it in turns to score as many points as possible.

However, to earn any points your total score with three darts must be divisible by five. For example, if you score 60 then your points total for that round will be 12. If your score with three darts is not divisible by five, then you will not get any points for that round. The winner of the game is the first player to reach 51 points!

American Cricket

Players required: 2 or more

American Cricket is one of the most popular dart games outside of the traditional game of 501. This is a game which can be played by two or more players or by separating a group of players into two teams. The aim of the game is to score more points than your opponent or the other team.

The game starts on the 20 segment with each team taking it in turns to hit that segment. The first player/team to hit the 20 segment three times will then be able to start scoring points. A single 20 is worth one hit, a double 20 two hits and a treble 20 is the required three hits.

The first to three hits can then start scoring points, with the value of each 20 segment being added to your score. The other team can then stop the other team from scoring once they have achieved three hits on that segment.

The game then moves onto the 19 segment, followed by 18, 17, 16 and 15 and finishes on the bullseye. The outer bullseye is worth one hit and the bullseye two hits. The game is over once the second team reaches three hits on the bullseye segment and has stopped the other team from scoring any more points. The winner of the game is the team who has accrued the most points.

English Cricket

Players required: 2 or more

The game of English Cricket in darts varies to the American version in that you have a ‘batter’ and a ‘bowler’ and take it in turns with your own innings, like in a traditional game of cricket. This game can be played with just two players, or a group of players can be split into two teams.

The two teams will take it in turns throwing, with the batting team aiming to rack up as big a score as possible. Each score is added to the batting team’s innings, whilst the bowling team must throw for the bullseye. An outer bullseye equals one wicket, and a bullseye is worth two wickets.

Once the bowling team has reached 10 wickets that marks the end of the batting team’s innings. The bowling team will then go into bat and try and beat the score set by the batting team before they lose all their 10 wickets. The winner of the cricket dart game is the team that scores the most points whilst in bat.

Around The Clock

Players required: 1 or more

One of the most popular dart games to play is Around The Clock. This is a game that can be played by two players or in a large group of people and is a great game for all levels to play. Just like the name suggests, players are meant to hit the numbers ‘around the clock’, so starting at 1 and working their way in numerical order up to 20.

The winner of the game is the first player to complete the sequence from 1 to 20. To increase the difficulty, you can add in the bullseye segment at the end, so the winner has to finish by hitting the outer bullseye and then the bullseye.

To make the game easier, if you hit the double of your required number then you can skip the next number and if you hit the treble you can move past two numbers. For example, a double one will move you up to three, whilst a treble one would move you on to four. If you have a perfect round and hit the required segments with each of your three darts, you can have another go and skip the queue as a reward!

180 Around The Clock

Players required: 1 or more

Another one of our darts practice games that can be played individually or in a group of people is 180 Around The Clock. This is a much more difficult version of Around The Clock, but it can really help to improve your precision on the oche.

To play 180 Around The Clock, each player will take it in turns throwing at each segment of the board in numerical order from 1 to 20. Each single number you hit of your required segment is worth one point, a double is two points, and a treble is three points. The maximum score you can achieve in each round is nine points, and a perfect overall score is 180.

If you are playing in a group, then the winner of the game is the player who scores the most points after the full 20 rounds have been played from 1 to 20. This is also a great individual practice game as you can set yourself a target of points and try and reach that score on your own.

Baseball

Players required: 2 or more

Similar to cricket, the aim of Baseball is to score more runs than your opponent. This game can be played between a large group of people, with each player having their own individual score, or you can split yourselves into two teams.

Each player takes it in turns to throw with the first innings the aim to get as many darts as possible in the one segment, then the two segment and so on until you finish throwing at the nine segment. A single number in the correct segment equals one point, a double is two points, and a treble is three points. The maximum score you can achieve at the end of the game is 81. The player/team with the most points after the ninth innings is the winner.

There are many different variations you can add to this game to make it more interesting. For example, the ‘7th Innings Catch’ rule means that if you fail to score any runs in the seventh innings then your total score is cut in half.

Chase The Dragon

Players required: 1 or more

A favorite with casual darts players, Chase The Dragon requires you to hit the trebles from 10 to 20 in sequence and then followed by the outer bullseye and bullseye. This is a game that can be played on your own for extra practice on the trebles or in a group of people. The winner is the first player to hit all 11 trebles and the outer bullseye and bullseye in the correct order.

Follow The Leader

Players required: 2 or more

This is a game that is best played with a large group of people but can also be played with just two players. Before starting the game, decide how many lives each player will have (usually three). The first player will throw a dart at the board and where it lands is the target for the next player.

For example, if you hit a small single 12, between the treble 12 and bullseye, the next player must then try and hit that exact segment with three darts. A treble 12, double 12 or a big single 12 does not count. If the second player fails to hit the target with their three darts, they lose a life. If you are playing the game with more than two players, the next player in line must try and hit the target.

If you hit the target with your first or second dart, the remaining darts left will be used to set a new target for the next player. If you hit the target with your third dart, you will then throw again to set the new target. The aim of the game is to make the target as difficult as possible for the next player, by hitting a double or a treble when setting the next target. The last player left with one or more lives at the end of the game is declared the winner.

Football

Players required: 2 or more

Each player takes it in turn to throw for the bullseye. Once a player has hit the bullseye they can then start throwing at any double on the board (including the bullseye) and each double hit counts as one goal. The winner of the game is the first player to hit 10 doubles (score 10 goals).

Grand National

Players required: 2 or more

Based on the famous horse race, the object of the Grand National darts game is to travel around the dartboard in an anticlockwise motion. Each player will take it in turns with three darts and will treat each segment as a hurdle. Starting on 20 and moving anti clockwise, the aim is to hit at least one segment with each turn or you ‘fall at the hurdle’ and are out of the game! The winner of the ‘Grand National’ is the first player to make their way round the board.

Halve-It

Players required: 2 or more

A popular darts game is Halve-It which can be played with a large group of people. Select six different targets that feature on the dartboard and each player will take it in turns trying to hit the required targets.

For every target you hit add that score to your overall score, so for example if the first target is single 20 and you hit two single 20s you add 40 points to your score. However, if you fail to hit a target with three darts you must ‘halve it’ and divide your overall score by two. The winner of the game is the player who has the highest score at the end of the final round.

You can make this game as easy or as difficult as you like depending on the level of players that are playing. An easier game would see you aiming just for single numbers or whole segments, whilst a more difficult game would see the targets being the bullseye, trebles, and doubles.

Hare And Hounds

Players required: 2

Hare And Hounds is more of a basic game designed for new players to darts and can also be a fun game to introduce children to the sport. Played between two players, decide which player is the hare and which player is the hound.

The hare starts the game on 20 and the hound is on 5. Playing in a clockwise motion, both players must hit each segment in order. The hare’s aim is to come back around to 20 to win the game, while the hound must simply catch up the hare to win the game.

Killer

Players required: 2 or more

The killer darts game is another popular game to play if you have a large group of people together. To start the game, each player takes it in turns to throw one dart at the board. The segment it lands on is your number, and no two players can have the same number. If you hit a segment that has already been hit, you must continue throwing until you have a number that has not already been taken.

Choose how many lives each player will start the game with and then players will take it in turns trying to take away the lives of the other players. Before you can remove a life from the other players, you must first hit your own segment three times. A single segment counts as one point, a double is two points, and a treble is three points. So, if your number is 20 and you hit a treble 20 you can then start trying to remove the lives of the other players.

However, if you lose any of your own lives you must win them back by hitting your segment again until you have the full quota of lives that you started the game with. You can also lose your own lives by hitting your own number by accident when trying to hit someone else’s number. The winner is the last player left with one or more lives.

Blind Killer

Players required: 2 or more

Blind Killer is a very similar game to Killer but is played with a twist. The players do not know which number they are aiming for! A blind draw is made before the start of the game to determine each player’s number and each player will take it turns throwing for any of the doubles on the board.

Once a double has been hit three times, the player should check what their assigned number is and, if it is a number assigned to a player, they are out of the game! The last player alive is the winner.

Knockout

Players required: 2 or more

The playing order will be determined by throwing one dart each at the bullseye and the closest will throw first. Before the game starts decide how many lives each player will have.

The first player should aim to hit as high a score as they can with their first throw, and the next player has to hit a higher score, or they lose a life. The winner is the last player with one or more lives left.

Loop

Players required: 2 or more

Very similar to the Follow The Leader game, Loop, or Loops as it is sometimes known, includes the ‘loops’ on the number wiring around the dartboard. For example, a dart inside the loop of the ‘10’ counts as a target, along with all of the other loops (4, 6, 8, 9, 14, 16, 18, 19 and 20).

This increases the difficulty of the game as throwing a dart inside one of the loops is much more difficult. Like with Follow The Leader, each player starts with a set number of lives and the last player standing is the winner.

Mickey Mouse

Players required: 2 or more

A similar game to American Cricket, Mickey Mouse has its own twist in that the scoreboard includes the numbers from 20-12 in descending order, as well as the bullseye. The aim of the game is to get ‘three hits’ on each segment before your opponent.

The game starts on the 20 segment and a single 20 counts as one hit, a double 20 as two hits and a treble 20 as three hits. Once you have three hits on the 20 segment you can move onto the 19s, then 18s and so on. The outer bullseye is worth one hit and the bullseye two hits. The winner of the game is the first player to achieve three hits on all the segments from 20 to 12 in order and then the bullseye.

Mulligan

Players required: 2 or more

Mulligan is a variation on American Cricket and Mickey Mouse, but in this game, you choose six random numbers to hit three times and then the bullseye. Hit each chosen segment three times (single = 1 hit, double = 2 hits, treble = 3 hits) in order and then the bullseye before your opponent/s to win the game.

Nine Lives

Players required: 2 or more

A variation on Around The Clock, Nine Lives actually sees each player start the game with nine lives. The aim of the game is to go from 1 to 20 in numerical order without losing all of your lives. If you go a whole turn (three darts) without hitting a required segment, then you lose a life.

The player that completes the game with the most lives left, or is the only player left standing, wins.

Prisoner

Players required: 2 or more

Ideally this game is perfect for groups of five people, but it can be played with just two players. The aim of the game is to hit a single dart in each segment from 1 to 20 in a clockwise direction. If a player misses their target, the dart is left in the dartboard as a prisoner for one turn.

Other players in the game can then attempt to ‘capture the prisoner’ by hitting the same segment, which also means they get to keep an additional dart. The game continues until one player has thrown a dart in every number segment in a clockwise order from 1 to 20.

Scam

Players required: 2

A game best suited for two players, Scam is played with one person as the ‘stopper’ and the other as the ‘scorer’ before the roles are reversed. The aim of the stopper is to stop their opponent from scoring by hitting the highest number segments (20, 19, 18 and so on). Once a stopper has hit a segment then the scorer can no longer score on that segment.

The stopper throws first, followed by the scorer, who can continue scoring until the stopper has hit every segment (1 to 20) on the board. The roles are then switched, and the stopper becomes the scorer, and vice versa, and their goal is to try and beat their opponent’s score. The winner of the game is the player who has scored the most points as the scorer.

Shanghai

Players required: 2 or more

The aim of this game is simple: hit a single, treble and double (in any order) on the same number segment in one turn. This is known in darts as a ‘shanghai’ and the first player to achieve a ‘shanghai’ is the winner.

Snooker

Players required: 2 or more

This game can be played between two people, or you can split a large group into two teams. Players will take it in turns to score as many points as possible, but in a sequence similar to the game of snooker (red, followed by a color, red, followed by a color and so on).

A red is worth one point and is scored by hitting any number segment between 1 and 15 on the board. The colors are more trickier as they require you to hit one exact segment on the board, as follows:-

Yellow (16 segment – worth 2 points)

Green (17 segment – worth 3 points)

Brown (18 segment – worth 4 points)

Blue (19 segment – worth 5 points)

Pink (20 segment – worth 6 points)

Black (outer bullseye or bullseye – worth 7 points)

The rules can get a little complicated after this, so read our ‘How To Play Snooker Darts’ blog for the complete guide on playing a game of snooker on a dartboard.

Sudden Death

Players required: 2 or more

A fun game to play with a large group of friends, Sudden Death is both quick and simple. All you have to do is score as many points as you can!

Each player throws three darts per round and the player with the lowest score is knocked out of the game. The last player left standing is the winner.

The ’01 Darts Games

Players required: 1 or more

Many players will know about the classic game of 501 in darts, where both players start on 501 points and the first player to hit exactly 501 points (and finish on a double) is the winner.

This game can be made easier or more difficult by adjusting the number each player starts on. For example, for beginner players you could start on 201 or 301, whereas if you are playing in a large group and in two teams you could increase the format to 701, 901 or even 1001!

Players can also play this individually and try and beat their best ‘leg’. So, if you finish 501 in 20 darts, try and finish it in 19 darts or less next time to beat your personal best.

Tic-Tac-Toe

Players required: 2 or more

Before you start the game, draw up a noughts-and-crosses board with nine spaces. Write the bullseye in the center spot and then fill the rest of the board with eight other segments you can hit on a dartboard.

Each player/team then takes it in turns to hit a number written on the board. This is played like a usual game of noughts-and-crosses, so the first player/team to get three noughts or crosses in a row is the winner.

 

Try out a games dartboard

Why not try out some of these darts games on an electronic dartboard? One of these boards can offer you hours of fun and are great to have for house parties or darts drinking games. Many of our electronic boards are integrated with plenty of games already to choose from and that can cater for up to eight players at the same time.

Electronic boards can also be a perfect introduction to darts for kids too, as the points used in soft tip darts are less dangerous than the steel tip darts used on a traditional dartboard. A soft tip point is made of a plastic material which makes them safer to use for young children. You can also easily keep track of every score via the built-in touch screen scoreboard or Wi-Fi enabled smart boards that we stock at Darts Corner.

The best darts games to practice

Whether you decide to play on a soft tip dartboard or one of our professional boards used with steel tip darts, there are plenty of darts practice games you can play. Take a look at our ‘How To Get Better at Darts’ blog for some top practice tips from the professionals and some more practice routines you can try out to help improve your game.

Enjoy the games!

We hope you enjoy giving some of these darts practice games a try, either on your own or with friends and family. Remember to shop at Darts Corner for all of your darts essentials and keep an eye on our blog section for the latest darts news and how to guides.

Andy Cornwall is a former PDC tour card holder who now offers his expertise to players of all abilities through his Mission Precision Darts Fitting Service. Exclusive to Darts Corner, Andy’s one-hour dart fitting experience is an in-person service available for any darts player to help them to discover their best darts setup!

Andy has been a darts coach for 15 years and during his playing days also represented Lancashire at county level. He is now the brand manager for Mission Darts and works alongside ex-PDC professional Matt Edgar in producing content for the Mission YouTube channel.