Quick Answer
501, Cricket, Around the Clock, Killer, and Shanghai are the five dart games every player should know.
This guide covers 22 games — rules in plain English, a step-by-step example for each, and who each game suits best.
Pick the right game and a board session stays fun for everyone at any level. Pick the wrong one and beginners get left behind or experienced players get bored. The 22 games below cover every situation — first-timers, competitive pairs, large groups, and solo practice.
Quick Reference: All 22 Dart Games
| Game | Players | Time | Difficulty | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 501 | 2–4 | 10–20 min | Intermediate | Standard competitive play |
| Cricket | 2–4 | 15–25 min | Intermediate | Strategic play |
| Around the Clock | Any | 10–30 min | Beginner | Learning target accuracy |
| Killer | 3–8 | 20–40 min | Beginner | Groups and parties |
| Shanghai | 2–6 | 15–25 min | Intermediate | Competitive groups |
| Scram | 2 | 15–20 min | Beginner | Two players, any skill |
| 301 | 2 | 5–10 min | Beginner | Quick head-to-head |
| Noughts and Crosses | 2 | 10–15 min | Beginner | Tactical two-player |
| Legs | 2–4 | 15–20 min | Intermediate | Competitive matches |
| Tennis | 2 | 10–20 min | Beginner | Fun two-player format |
| Sudden Death | 3+ | 15–30 min | Beginner | Eliminator party game |
| Prisoner | 3+ | 20–30 min | Beginner | Large groups |
| Count-Up | Any | 5–10 min | Beginner | Warm-up and beginners |
| High Score | Any | 10–15 min | Beginner | Quick scoring challenge |
| Bob’s 27 | 1 | 15–20 min | Advanced | Solo doubles practice |
| 121 Checkout | 1 | 10 min | Advanced | Solo checkout practice |
| Chase the Dragon | 1–4 | 15–25 min | Advanced | Trebles and bull precision |
| Halve-It | Any | 15–25 min | Intermediate | Solo or group practice |
| Golf | 2–4 | 20–30 min | Intermediate | Pub sessions |
| Baseball | 2–6 | 20–30 min | Beginner | Casual groups |
| Nearest the Bull | Any | 5 min | Beginner | Deciding throw order |
| Drinking Darts | 2–6 | 20–40 min | Beginner | Pub nights (adults) |
The Five Every Player Should Know
501
Start at 501. Each player throws three darts per visit and subtracts what they score. To win, reach exactly zero — finishing on a double (the outer narrow ring, or the bullseye). Go below zero or land on 1, and the visit is bust: score resets to what it was before that throw.
Example — 501
→ Alice, visit 1: T20, T20, 5 — scores 125 — left with 376
→ Bob, visit 1: T19, 14, 3 — scores 90 — left with 411
→ Alice, visit 2: T20, T20, T20 — scores 180 — left with 196
→ Bob, visit 2: T20, T19, 7 — scores 126 — left with 285
→ Alice, visit 3: T20, T16, D20 — scores 152 — left with 44
→ Alice, visit 4: T12 (36), D4 (8) — scores 44 — out in 12 darts
Common checkout routes to memorise: 40 = D20, 32 = D16, 36 = D18, 50 = bullseye (counts as D25).
Cricket
Cricket uses only 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and the bullseye. Hit a number three times to “open” it (singles = 1 hit, doubles = 2, trebles = 3). Once you’ve opened a number your opponent hasn’t, extra hits score points at face value. The game ends when one player has closed all numbers and leads on points — or both have closed everything and scores are level.
Example — Cricket
→ Tom, visit 1: T20 — 20 opens for Tom (3 hits)
→ Sara, visit 1: T19 — 19 opens for Sara (3 hits)
→ Tom, visit 2: 20, 20 — 20 already closed so both score: Tom +40 pts
→ Sara, visit 2: T20 — Sara closes 20 (stops Tom scoring on it), +0 pts
→ Scoreboard after 2 visits: Tom 40 pts | Sara 0 pts | 20 ✓ closed for both | 19 ✓ closed for Sara only
→ Game continues through 18, 17, 16, 15, bull — first to close all numbers while leading (or tied) wins
Closing a number your opponent is scoring on is usually worth more than opening a new one for yourself — cut off their points first.
Around the Clock
Hit 1, then 2, then 3 — all the way to 20, then finish on the bullseye. Three darts per turn. Any part of the segment (single, double, or treble) moves you on. First to finish wins.
Example — Around the Clock
→ Jake (on 7): misses, hits 7, misses — advances to 8
→ Emma (on 9): D9 (counts), hits 10, hits 11 — advances to 12 in one visit
→ Jake (on 8): hits 8, misses 9, misses 9 — advances to 9
→ Emma (on 12): misses 12 three times — stays on 12
→ Emma leads 12 vs 9 — but Jake closes the gap on a number Emma keeps missing
Harder version: require doubles only — you must hit the double ring of each number to advance. Used as a warm-up drill by competitive players.
Killer
Each player throws one dart with their non-dominant hand to assign themselves a random number. Then, three darts per turn — hit your own double to become a “Killer.” Once you’re a Killer, hit other players’ doubles to take their lives. Each player starts with five lives. Hit your own double as a Killer and you lose one. Last player standing wins.
Example — Killer (Ana: 14 | Ben: 7 | Cara: 3 | Dan: 18)
→ Turn 1, Ana: hits D14 — becomes a Killer
→ Turn 1, Ana (attacks): hits D7 — Ben loses a life (4 remaining)
→ Turn 2, Ben: hits D7 — becomes a Killer
→ Turn 2, Ben (attacks): hits D14, D14 — Ana loses 2 lives (3 remaining)
→ Turn 3, Cara: hits D3 — becomes a Killer, targets Dan
→ Dan eliminated after 5 hits on D18 across next two rounds
→ Three players remain — Killer status means every throw now counts
You can’t attack anyone until you’ve hit your own double. All darts on other players’ numbers before that are wasted.
Shanghai
Seven rounds. Round 1: everyone targets the 1 segment. Round 2: the 2 segment. And so on to 7. Singles, doubles, and trebles on the active number all score (×1, ×2, ×3 face value). Hit a “Shanghai” — single, double, and treble of the same number in one visit — and you win instantly regardless of score. Highest total after round 7 wins if no Shanghai is hit.
Example — Shanghai (Round 3, target: 3)
→ Liz, visit: single 3 (3 pts), T3 (9 pts), D3 (6 pts)
→ That’s single + double + treble of the same number in one visit — Shanghai
→ Liz wins the game immediately, regardless of anyone else’s score
If no Shanghai is hit, scores accumulate to Round 7. A T7 in the last round scores 21 — enough to flip the game from a single dart.
In the later rounds the numbers are worth more — a treble 7 (21 pts) in round 7 outweighs a treble 1 (3 pts) in round 1 by seven times.
Two-Player Games
Scram
Two phases. Phase 1: one player is the stopper, the other the scorer. The stopper closes numbers 1–20 and bull by hitting them once each. The scorer racks up points on any number still open. Once a number is closed, the scorer can no longer score on it. When all are closed, roles swap. Highest score after both phases wins.
Example — Scram (Phase 1: Mark stops, Lisa scores)
→ Mark, visit 1: hits 20, 19, 18 — closes all three
→ Lisa, visit 1: T17 (51 pts), 16 (16 pts) — Lisa +67
→ Mark, visit 2: closes 17, 16 — Lisa can no longer score on those
→ Lisa, visit 2: T15, 14 — Lisa +59 (15 still open)
→ Phase 1 ends when all 21 targets are closed — Lisa totals 143 pts
→ Phase 2: Lisa stops, Mark scores — Mark needs 144+ to win
The stopper should close 20, 19, and 18 first — they’re where the scorer earns the most per dart.
301
Same rules as 501 but starting at 301. Finish on a double. With the double-in rule (optional in casual play), you must also open scoring with a double. The shorter starting total makes legs last roughly 6–12 visits each — fast enough for a round of drinks.
Example — 301 (double-in)
→ Player 1, visit 1: D20 to open (261), T20 (201), T19 (144)
→ Player 2, visit 1: D16 to open (269), T20 (209), T20 (149)
→ Player 1, visit 2: T20 (84), T20 (24) — needs 24: D12
→ Player 1, visit 3: throws D12 — out in 8 darts
Skip the double-in for casual play — just subtract from the start and still finish on a double. Most pub 301 games drop the opening requirement.
Noughts and Crosses
Draw a 3×3 grid on a chalkboard. Fill nine squares with numbers from the board — typically 1, 2, 3, 4, Bull, 16, 17, 19, 20. Players alternate throwing three darts. Hit a number in the grid and claim that square with your symbol (X or O). Three in a row wins. Missed darts don’t block squares — you have to actually hit them.
Example — Noughts and Crosses
Grid: 20 | 1 | 19 / 3 | Bull | 17 / 2 | 16 | 4
→ X, visit 1: hits 20 (top-left ✗), hits 19 (top-right ✗) — one away from top row
→ O, visit 1: hits 1 (top-middle ◯) to block, hits Bull (centre ◯)
→ X, visit 2: hits 3 (middle-left ✗), misses 17
→ O, visit 2: hits 17 (middle-right ◯) — O threatens middle row: ◯ · · ◯ · ◯
→ X must block 16 or Bull — but Bull is already O’s
→ O hits 16 next visit — three in a row across the middle. O wins.
It’s tic-tac-toe — except your aim determines whether you get the square at all.
Legs
Legs is a match format, not a single game. Each “leg” is a full 501 game (finish on double). Agree on a format before starting — best of 3 or best of 5 are standard. The player who wins the most legs wins the match. This is how professional darts is structured at every level from pub league to world championship.
Example — Best of 5 Legs
→ Leg 1: Ryan out in 19 darts — Ryan 1–0 Sophie
→ Leg 2: Sophie out in 15 darts — 1–1
→ Leg 3: Ryan misses 5 consecutive doubles on 40 — Sophie capitalises — 1–2
→ Leg 4: Ryan finishes clean — 2–2
→ Leg 5 (decider): both miss first checkout — Sophie hits D16 on second attempt — Sophie wins 3–2
Best of 3 = a quick match. Best of 7 = a serious session. In league format, a “set” is usually first to 3 legs.
Tennis
Score like real tennis: 15–0, 30–0, 40–0, Game, with deuce and advantage for tied games. Each player throws three darts per rally — higher score wins the point. Win 6 games to take a set, first to two sets wins the match.
Example — Tennis (Game 3, score 30–30)
→ Rally 1: A scores 85, B scores 60 — Advantage A
→ Rally 2: A scores 72, B scores 81 — Deuce
→ Rally 3: A scores 91, B scores 58 — Advantage A
→ Rally 4: A scores 100, B scores 79 — Game A
→ A takes Game 3 after four deuces — A leads 2–1 in games
For a quicker session, skip sets entirely — play to 6 games, first to win takes the match.
Party and Group Games
Sudden Death
Everyone throws three darts each round. The player with the lowest score is eliminated. Tie for last? Those players each throw one dart — lowest is out. Last player standing wins.
Example — Sudden Death (6 players)
→ Round 1 scores: 85, 72, 68, 55, 45, 12 — player with 12 eliminated
→ Round 2 (5 players): 60, 58, 57, 55, 14 — player with 14 out
→ Round 3 (4 players): 81, 79, 62, 61 — tied 62 and 61 go again: 45 vs 38 — 38 eliminated
→ Round 4 (3 players): 80, 78, 41 — player with 41 out
→ Final (2 players): 88 vs 74 — player with 74 loses — winner declared
Alternative: set a minimum threshold (e.g. 40 pts). Anyone who scores below it in that round is out — can eliminate multiple players at once.
Prisoner
One player is the warden. They throw three darts — their total is the target. Every other player (prisoner) throws three darts and must match or beat the warden’s score to stay free. Fail and you go to prison (accumulate a strike). Rotate the warden role each round. Most strikes at the end loses.
Example — Prisoner (5 players, Kate is warden)
→ Kate (warden): T20, 1, 1 — sets target of 62
→ Ali: scores 85 — free
→ Ben: scores 70 — free
→ Cara: scores 55 — imprisoned (strike 1)
→ Dan: scores 48 — imprisoned (strike 1)
→ Round 2: new warden, target 78 — Cara scores 80 (escapes), Dan scores 45 (strike 2)
→ Player with most strikes at end of agreed rounds loses
Agree before starting whether prison means one round out or accumulated strikes — the strike version keeps everyone throwing throughout.
Count-Up
Eight rounds of three darts each. Every dart scores its face value — doubles and trebles count. No special rules. Highest cumulative total after eight rounds wins. Track your total across sessions and you have a clean benchmark to beat.
Example — Count-Up (one player)
→ Round 1: T20, 18, 15 — scores 93 — running total: 93
→ Round 2: T19, 20, 17 — scores 94 — total: 187
→ Round 3: 14, 5, 3 — scores 22 — total: 209 (off night)
→ Round 4: T20, T19, T18 — scores 171 — total: 380
→ Final total after 8 rounds: 612
Beginner range: 200–400 | Club level: 500–700 | Advanced: 700+
Use Count-Up as a session opener. A consistent 8-round total tells you more about your current form than any other quick test.
High Score
Five throws of three darts each. Only your single best visit counts — not the running total. Highest one-visit score wins. There’s no penalty for a bad round — you just throw again. Good for mixed-ability groups where you want everyone going for maximum score without pressure.
Example — High Score
→ Player A: 85, 60, 100, 45, 78 — best visit: 100
→ Player B: 81, 81, 60, 100, 81 — best visit: 100
→ Tie — each throws one tiebreaker visit
→ A scores 60, B scores 81 — Player B wins
Agree the tiebreaker rule before you start — ties at 100 are common.
Everyone aims at treble 20 every dart. A maximum 3-dart visit (T20, T20, T20 = 180) wins outright against any opponent.
Solo Practice Games
Bob’s 27
Start with 27 points. Work through double 1 to double 20, then double bull — 21 rounds. Throw three darts at each double. Hit at least one: add twice the face value (+2 for D1, +4 for D2, etc). Hit none: subtract twice the face value. You can go negative. Finish positive to pass.
Example — Bob’s 27
→ Start: 27 pts
→ D1: hit one → +2 → 29
→ D2: miss all three → -4 → 25
→ D3: hit two → +6 → 31
→ D4–D9: mix of hits and misses — score drifts to 18
→ D10: miss all → -20 → -2 (gone negative)
→ D16: hit one → +32 → recovered to 44
→ Final score after D20 + D-bull: 88 — above 0 = pass
Score benchmarks: 100+ = decent | 200+ = sharp doubles | 500+ = Bob Anderson territory
The penalty system keeps you honest — you can’t coast on near-misses. Every blank round costs you, which is exactly what makes it useful.
121 Checkout
Start at 121. Try to check out in as few darts as possible — finish on a double. Reset to 121 after each attempt and go again. Track your average over 10 attempts. The perfect checkout is 3 darts. This drill isolates exactly the skill that separates mid-level from advanced players.
Example — 121 Checkout (10 attempts)
→ Attempt 1: T20 (61 left), T17 (10 left), miss D5, hits D5 — 4 darts
→ Attempt 2: T20 (61 left), T19 (4 left), D2 — 3 darts (perfect)
→ Attempt 3: T20, T20 (1 left) — bust. Must throw away a dart, then restart from 1. 5 darts
→ Attempts 4–10: mix of 3s, 4s, one 6 (missed 4 doubles)
→ Average over 10 attempts: 4.1 darts
Targets: under 5 = competent | under 4 = strong | consistent 3s = very good
Plan your route before throwing. T20, T11, D20 (60+33+28=121) is one clean 3-dart route. T17, T18, D15 (51+54+16=121) is another.
Chase the Dragon
Hit the treble of numbers 10 through 20 in order, then the bullseye. Singles and doubles count for nothing — trebles only. Three darts per turn; hit the required treble and advance to the next. In solo play, count total darts used to complete the run. Multiplayer: first to finish wins.
Example — Chase the Dragon (solo)
→ T10: hit on dart 2 — total darts used: 2
→ T11: hit on dart 1 — total: 3
→ T12: takes 7 darts — total: 10
→ T13: hit on dart 1 — total: 11
→ T14: takes 12 darts — total: 23
→ T15–T20 + bull: 35 more darts
→ Full run: 58 darts
Next session: 51 darts. Session after: 44. The number goes down as your treble accuracy improves.
Trebles are 8mm wide. No partial credit. Chase the Dragon is the most direct measure of the accuracy level competitive darts actually requires.
Halve-It
Set a sequence of targets — typically: 15, 16, double (any), 17, 18, treble (any), 19, 20, bull. Three darts per target. Hit the target: score whatever you hit. Miss entirely: your current score is halved (rounded down). Highest score after all targets wins.
Example — Halve-It
→ Target: 15 — hits 15, 15 — scores 30 — total: 30
→ Target: 16 — hits 16, 16, miss — scores 32 — total: 62
→ Target: doubles (any) — hits D8 (16), D5 (10) — scores 26 — total: 88
→ Target: 17 — all three darts miss 17 (hits 2, 14, 3) — score halved: 44
→ Target: 18 — hits T18 (54) — total: 98
→ One missed target cut the score nearly in half — that’s why Halve-It is stressful even solo
Halving only triggers on a complete miss — if even one dart hits the target number, your score stands.
Pub Classics
Golf
Nine holes — numbers 1 through 9 on the board. One dart per hole. Scoring is inverted like golf: bullseye = 1 stroke, inner bull = 2, treble = 3, double = 4, single = 5, miss = 6. Lowest total after 9 holes wins.
Example — Golf (Player A’s round)
→ Hole 1 (target: 1): single 1 — 5 strokes
→ Hole 2 (target: 2): T2 — 3 strokes
→ Hole 3 (target: 3): misses segment 3 — 6 strokes
→ Hole 4 (target: 4): D4 — 4 strokes
→ Hole 5 (target: 5): inner bull — 2 strokes
→ After 5 holes: 20 strokes — on pace for ~36 total
Score benchmarks: 45+ = struggled | 35–44 = decent | under 30 = strong
For beginners, play three darts per hole and take the best result — removes the harsh penalty for a single bad dart.
Baseball
Seven innings — numbers 1 through 7. Three darts per inning at the active number. Singles = 1 run, doubles = 2 runs, trebles = 3 runs. Score zero in any inning and your total is halved. Highest run count after 7 innings wins.
Example — Baseball
→ Inning 1 (target: 1): 1, 1, miss — 2 runs — total: 2
→ Inning 2 (target: 2): D2, 2, T2 — 7 runs — total: 9
→ Inning 3 (target: 3): miss, miss, miss — 0 runs — score halved: 4
→ Inning 4 (target: 4): T4, 4, 4 — 5 runs — total: 9
→ Inning 7 (target: 7): T7, T7, T7 — max 9 runs — total recovery possible
The halving rule makes every inning matter — one blank wipes out all the work before it
Inning 7 is the highest-value round — a treble 7 scores 21 runs and can rescue a bad game on a single dart.
Nearest the Bull
Each player throws one dart at the bullseye. Closest to centre goes first. This is the standard ritual before any serious session or match. Ties (same ring) get resolved by throwing again between those players only.
Example — Nearest the Bull (3 players)
→ Player A: inner bull (bullseye) — closest to centre
→ Player B: outer bull — second closest
→ Player C: hits 3 segment — furthest
→ Throw order: A → B → C
If A and B both hit inner bull, they throw again between themselves to break the tie
Outer bull beats any number segment. Inner bull beats outer bull. Agree the tie rule before anyone throws.
Drinking Darts
A rule overlay for any game. Common format: lowest score each round takes a sip, leg loser takes a bigger drink, bounce-outs drink immediately. No single official version — agree the rules before the first throw and keep them reasonable.
Example — Drinking Darts on 501
→ Round scores: A = 45, B = 85, C = 60
→ A scored lowest — takes a sip
→ C hit bull this round — exempt from the next penalty
→ A gets bust on checkout — drinks again
→ B wins the leg — A and C drink
The overlay works on any game: Cricket, Shanghai, Around the Clock — tie the consequences to a clear, agreed losing condition
Keep stakes low. Darts involve sharp steel tips — safety first, regardless of what’s been consumed.
Which Game Should You Play?
Just 2 of you — 501, Cricket, Scram, or Legs
3 or more players — Killer, Shanghai, Sudden Death, or Baseball
First time at a board — Count-Up, Around the Clock, or High Score
Solo practice — Bob’s 27, Chase the Dragon, or Halve-It
Pub night, casual — Killer, Drinking Darts, Prisoner, or Golf
Mixed ability group — Around the Clock, High Score, or Count-Up
Start with 501 — it covers the fundamentals every other game builds on. Add Cricket once you want tactics. Use the solo games to track progress between sessions.
