Top 20 Dart Games to play with your friends
Dartboard games are perfect for playing amongst your group of friends with drinks, whether it be at the bar or home! Here are 20 of our favourites with some basic dart game rules too
1. Cricket Darts
In Cricket Darts, your objective is to close out numbers 15 to 20 and the bullseye and obtain more points than the other team. You close out a number by hitting it 3 times. Once closed, you can start scoring it every time you hit it. This game is recommended for intermediate and advanced players of darts.
2. 301 + 501 Darts
A game for 2 players of any age, be the first player to reach 0 with a starting score of 301 or 501.
With straightforward rules and simple scoring, any player can take up the challenge of landing double and triple scores as fast as they can.
How to play 301 Darts3. Around the World Darts
One of the more popular dart games due to its simplicity. You work around the dartboard in a numerical sequence, starting from 1 all the way to the number 20. It is a game also suitable for all different levels of dart players. Around the World Darts allows for any number of players and is a perfect warm up dart game.
4. Halve It Darts
A dart game for more advanced players, Halve It Darts is played by aiming at numbers 20, 16, Double 7, 14, Triple 10, 17 and Double Bull. Each player gets a 3-dart turn and must be played in consecutive order
Whilst this game is aimed more at advanced players, beginners can have a try at it too!
How to Play Halve It5. Knockout Darts
This 10-15 minute game for 2-8 players is the perfect game if you enjoy head-to-head elimination
After deciding the order of play, the player going first throws 3 darts, trying to get the biggest score possible, followed by the second player. Then, the player with the lowest score out of the two gets eliminated. This repeats until the last man standing wins the game.
How to play Knockout
6. Gotcha Darts
This simple dart game caters to any amount of players. It requires you to agree on the number of points to win. Each player gets a three dart turn with their current total of points marked next to their name.
Be the first player to score the exact number of points agreed upon. Opponents may also be “killed” by hitting their current total in one turn, resetting their points to 0.
7. Grand National
Grand National Dart game allows unlimited players and is around a 60-minute game (depending on the number of players)
Players have 3 darts per turn and must hit each number on the board in an anti-clockwise direction, hitting the following consecutive number, or they are out. The player who gets back around to 20 first wins.
How to play Grand National8. Tic-Tac-Toe Darts
An easy 2-player game where you throw darts to close out numbers that relate to the squares of a Tic Tac Toe grid. Keep track of the numbers associated with each square. Close out the numbers by hitting it 3 times. When you close it out, the square on the grid is marked with an X or O. Win the Tic Tac Toe game by getting 3 Xs or 3 Os in a row.
Take turns throwing darts at the board trying to hit numbers to get 3 in a row in a line. The first person to do this wins!
How to play Tic Tac Toe Darts9. Nine Lives Darts
Nine Lives Dart game is an elimination game for 2 or more players, where players start with 3 lives.
Players go around the dartboard in numerical order, losing a life if they fail to hit the number they are on. You get eliminated from the game if you lose all 3 lives. Great game for beginner dart players.
How to play 9 Lives Darts10. Follow the Leader Darts
Follow the Leader dart game allows for an unlimited amount of players. The goal is to be the last person standing.
The player who starts throws a dart on the board, with all other players using their three darts to hit the same number as the first player. You get three lives, and if you fail to hit the correct part of the dartboard, you lose a life.
How to play Follow the Leader Darts11. Killer Darts
Start with having everybody draw a random number between 1 and 20, which will then become their number for the game. Each player gets three lives.
Players start throwing at the board. Your first goal is to hit the double ring for the number you drew, three times. This will give you the status as “killer”. Once you become a Killer, everytime you hit someone else’ double ring, they lose a life. This continues until only one person remains.
How to play Killer Darts
12. Shanghai Darts
This game is perfect for 2 or more players and the objective is to hit a single, treble, and double in the same number on a single turn.
Players start with 1 and try to hit a single, treble and double on that particular segment. You win the game if you do this, but if nobody does, try again in the next round.
How to play Shanghai Darts
14. Fives Darts
This game can be played with any number of players, and a total target is chosen (could be 50 or 100 but this should be a lower number if lots of people are playing)
Throw three darts onto the board in a single turn trying to score a number divisible by five. The higher the number scored, the more points obtained. For every five scored, one point is awarded. Be the first player to achieve the chosen target.
15. Football Darts
A game for two players, each player gets three darts each
If you hit a “bullseye” throw for any doubles. You score a goal for each double that is hit. The person who scores ten goals or ten doubles is the winner.
16. Sudden Death Darts
This is a simple game where each player has three darts and needs to score as much as they can. The lowest scoring player loses. Play continues until one player is left standing.
17. Hare and Hounds Darts
For 2 or more players, each player receives 3 darts each
Players need to toss a coin to begin and the player who wins the toss is the “hare” whilst the opponent is the hound. The hare needs to travel clockwise around the board, beginning at 20 and wins if they return to 20 before the hound catches them.
18. Scam Darts
This is a two player game where one person is the “stopper” and the other the “scorer”. The stopper must prevent the scorer by getting their darts into the number segment’s first.
The stopper first needs to get three highest possible numbers, each number hit becomes out of play for the scorer. Then, the scorer aims for the next highest number available to score the highest amount. Play continues until the Stopper hits all numbers on the board from 20 to 1. Scores are added up and play reverses. The winner is the player with the highest score
19. Warfare Darts
In this game, the dartboard is split into two halves and the two players or teams are assigned a halve. Each number on the dartboard represents a soldier, meaning each team has 10 soldiers each
Players try to take out as many of their opponent’s soldiers as they can by hitting a number representing them each turn. Whoever eliminates all soldiers from their opponent first wins.
20. Call Three Darts
This game of darts is super easy and can be learnt in seconds. It can be played by any number of players, with each player throwing three darts per turn.
At the start of each turn, the player who throws next will call out three numbers that the current player throwing tries to hit in the same order they were called. The game is played for 10 rounds with the highest scoring player winning.
Frequently Asked Questions about Dart Games
What is the most popular dart game?
Cricket is one of the most popular dart games where players take turns stepping up and aiming until someone scores a cumulative 301 points.
What game do pro dart players play?
Pro competition darts are based on the 501 game.
