If you want to unwind and have a good time for a few hours, perhaps you go to the local dive bar or neighborhood pub and chat with your friends while drinking. But sometimes, you run out of things to talk about (probably because you hang out all the time) and playing a game of darts is one way to pass time and have fun.
Besides the standard 01 games (301, 501 and 801), here are some of the common, casual dart games you can play with your friends:
Table of Contents
1. Cricket
Cricket is one of the most popular dart games. It’s fun, easy to learn and play, and can be enjoyed by both beginners and expert players alike. It also involves both skill and strategy as you aim to hit the top areas of the board.
The objective of the game:
The rules in cricket are pretty simple: close out all the numbers in play (20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15 and Bull’s Eye) before your opponent, while being even or ahead in points. Once the target area is closed, you can no longer use it to score points. The player or team that closes all innings first and gains the most points wins.
The number of players:
The game is usually played with two players or teams of two. It can also be played with three players.
Description:
If you see a scoreboard next to the dartboard that is set up with the numbers 15-20 and the bull’s eye, it’s set up for cricket. To win, you or your team need to hit each number three times, or alternatively hit a triple, or hit a double and a single.
To choose who goes first, both players must throw a dart at the bull’s eye, and whoever is closest gets first turn. Each player or team take turns in throwing. Once a player or team scores three of a number, and it is owned by that player or team. They can score on this number runs until the opponent has closed it. The double or triple ring shall count as 2 and 3, respectively.
2. Around the Clock
Unlike the game Cricket, Around the Clock uses the whole board. Also known as “Around the World,” t’s a very easy game that requires you to hit each area of the dartboard clockwise (thus the name) around the circle. It’s a popular dart game because it’s very simple and fun to play with a group. Even someone who has never picked up a dart before can play this game. It’s also a great way to warm up for any 01 games, as it’s a good practice routine for people who are looking to get better at aiming.
The objective of the game:
To win the game, you or your team must hit every number on the board, plus the bull’s eye, in order before the other players.
The number of players:
The game can be played with any number of individual players or teams that rotate each turn.
Description:
Play starts with number 1, moves on to 2 and so on until all three darts are thrown. The game continues until 20 is hit, and then finished with hitting bull’s eye. After the three darts have hit the first three consecutive numbers, the player will attempt to hit 4, 5 and 6 on the next visit to the board. You can’t move on to another number until you have hit the next one, and all must be hit in a numerical order. Each player take turns at hitting the next number in their sequence. It’s a bit like a race, if you think about it. For advanced players, you can make the game harder by just targeting the red central area, or playing around with only doubles.
3. Twenty One
21 is very similar to the popular Cricket game. The name comes from having seven target numbers on the scoreboard with the goal of hitting them at least three times (7×3), giving a total of 21 points. Its difference with Cricket is that you only get one round on each number to shoot as many of that number as possible. This is a nice dart game to practice accuracy when throwing darts.
The objective of the game:
As mentioned earlier, the objective of the game is to score 21 points by targeting the 7 target numbers (20-15 and bull’s eye) and hit them at least three times. Since there are double and triple rings, one hit at them counts as two and three points, respectively.
The number of players:
It can be a single player game or played against someone another player.
Description:
21 darts game starts with a coin flip to determine who shoots first. On your first turn, you’d try to shoot three darts at the target area of number 20. On the second round, 19 is your new target, and so on. The final turn is the bull’s eye target and has the most point value.
4. Scram
Scram is a fun, competitive strategy game involving two individual players. It’s a test of accuracy as it uses every area of the dartboard except the bull’s eye.
The objective of the game:
Scram is a competitive game wherein one player is a scorer and the other is a stopper. It involves going against each other to hit areas of the board to score points before the opponents close it out. The rules for closing out is similar to the rules in Cricket, but Scram uses every area of the dartboard except the bull’s eye.
The number of players:
This game is played by two individual players against each other, wherein one is a scorer and the other is a stopper.
Description:
The game has two phases wherein one acts as the stopper while the other is the scorer on the first phase, and then switches positions in the second phase. The stopper starts the game by throwing three darts first, trying to aim for high point totals to close it out. Each time a number is hit, that number is closed out, the corresponding number is marked with an X, and the scorer cannot score points on that number. Next, the scorer throws three darts and marks every hit with a tally next to the number on the scoreboard, unless it has already been closed by the stopper. The phase continues until the stopper has marked each number 1-2 with an X and no further points can be scored. After that, phase two begins. The winner is the scorer who scores the most points while they are the scorer.
5. Shanghai
Shanghai is a popular dart game for a large group of players. This game is named after the dart term Shanghai, which means when a player hits a single, double and triple of the same number in a single turn.
The objective of the game:
The goal of the game is to score the highest number of points by shooting at one number each round, starting at 1 through 7, corresponding to the inning numbers. You can win the game by either scoring the most points after 7 innings or scoring a Shanghai in any single inning, regardless of other players’ points.
The number of players:
Shanghai is best played by four or more players, but two can play this game.
Description:
The game starts using a two-dart splash. The person who gets the highest score goes first, and the lowest scorer goes last. Each player takes three-dart turns at numbers 1 to 7. Every player must aim to score as many points as possible in each inning. The points correspond to the inning number in play. For instance, if it’s the 3rd inning, you can only shoot at number 3. A single shot would be worth 3 points, a double would be 6 points, and a triple would be 9 points. Only the darts hitting the inning number in play counts. It’s an exciting game as possible scores increase significantly in later innings.
6. Baseball
Baseball is a simple dart game that can test your accuracy. It’s a very popular darts game that is similar to Shanghai, but instead of the 7 innings, you play the traditional 9-inning baseball format.
The objective of the game:
Like Shanghai, the objective of the game is to score the most runs in each inning. However, unlike Shanghai, each dart only counts as a single, double or triple in Baseball.
The number of players:
Baseball can be played with any number of players, but it is usually played by two individuals or teams against each other.
Description:
To decide who takes the first turn, players do a coin toss. Each player or team throws three darts per inning. A hit on the small outer ring counts as 2 runs, and the small inner ring counts as 3 runs, and a hit anywhere else within the inning number counts as a single run. After the three dart throws, the score will be totaled. If there is a tie, extra innings are played with the bull’s eye as the target.
7. Killer
Unlike most games listed here, Killer is a darts game that doesn’t require throwing at a pattern of numbered segments. It involves some careful strategy that forces you to play a little out of your comfort zone.
The objective of the game:
The objective of the game is to aim to become a “killer” first (more of that on the description), then be the last man standing.
The number of players:
Killer is best played with three or more players playing individually against each other. Two can play the game, but it’s definitely not a solitary game.
Description
To start the game, each player chooses a random number on the board with their non-shooting hand. If you’re a right-handed person, use your left hand, and vice versa. This makes the game harder. Once you’ve got a number, that’s yours for the whole game. If you’ve targeted a number that has been owned by another player, try again and shoot another number. After each player has got a number, each will try to hit double of that number for them to be a killer. Once you’ve become a killer, you can try to “kill” your opponents by targeting doubles of their numbers. Each player gets three lives, and once another player has struck a double in your number, you lose one life. On the scoreboard, mark each player’s initials in a column, note their number and mark three lives. Whenever a player is “killed,” erase one line. The player with any remaining lives wins.