Darts games
Every game worth knowing, and how each one is scored. Four of them are playable here, free, with no account. If you have never scored a game of darts before, start with how darts is scored and come back.
Playable here
Each of these has its rules written up, with the game itself underneath, so you can read how it works and then play it on the same page.
- 501 2 or more · 15 to 30 minutes The standard game and the one played on television. Start on 501, subtract every visit, finish on a double. Everything else in darts assumes you know this one.
- 301 2 or more · 10 minutes The same game 200 points shorter, which means you reach a finish far sooner. What most juniors and casual players actually play, and where double in comes up most.
- Killer 3 to 8 · 15 minutes Everyone owns a number. Hit your own to arm yourself, then start taking other players out. The best game in the pub once there are more than two of you.
- Around the clock 1 or more · 10 to 20 minutes One to twenty in order. The game everybody learns first, the best one to play alone, and the only common game that makes you throw at all twenty numbers.
Rules written up, not yet playable
The rules for these three are here in full. The scoreboard does not handle them yet, so you will need a pen for the time being.
- Cricket 2 or more · rules only Close 20 down to 15 and the bull with three marks each, then score on what your opponent has not closed. The most popular game in America and the one with the most tactics in it.
- Shanghai 2 or more · rules only Seven rounds at seven numbers, scoring what you hit. Hit a single, double and treble of the same number in one visit and you win outright, whatever the score.
- Halve It 2 or more · rules only A set list of targets, one round each. Miss a round entirely and your score is halved, which turns a comfortable lead into a disaster in one visit.
Which one to play
With two of you and an evening, play 501. It is the game the sport is built on and everything you learn in it transfers.
With two of you and twenty minutes, play 301. You reach the doubles sooner, and the doubles are what decide real games.
With four or more, play Killer. It handles a crowd, nobody is ever out of it for long, and it does not slow down when somebody cannot hit a treble.
On your own, play Around the Clock and count your darts. It is the cleanest measure of whether your aim is improving, because it makes you throw at all twenty numbers instead of the three you like.