Dart Game Encyclopedia
Showing 81 of 163 dart game variants with rules, scoring, and strategy
Difficulty
501
The standard competition game used in PDC World Championship and all major tournaments. Players count down from 501, finishing on a double.
701
Longer X01 format traditionally used for doubles (pairs) play in leagues and team competitions.
Standard Cricket
Close numbers 20-15 and bullseye by hitting each three times. Score points on closed numbers opponents haven't closed. The most popular game in North American bars.
Cut-Throat Cricket
Points scored on open numbers are added to opponents' totals. Lowest score wins. Best cricket variant for 3+ players.
English Cricket
One player bats (scores runs above 40), the other bowls (takes wickets via bullseye). Roles reverse after all wickets fall.
Slop Tactics
Relaxed Tactics where all doubles and trebles count toward closing, not just those from the target numbers.
Scram Cricket
One player scores on cricket numbers while the other tries to close them. Roles reverse after one round.
Random Cricket
Six randomly selected numbers plus bullseye replace the standard 20-15 targets.
Hidden Cricket
Target numbers are hidden at start. Players discover which numbers are in play by hitting them. Popular on electronic boards.
Select-A-Cricket
Players choose their own target numbers before the game begins, adding a strategic draft element.
Wild Cricket
Standard cricket plus an additional random wild number from 1-14 that any player can score on.
Low-Pitch Cricket
Uses numbers 1-6 and bullseye instead of standard 20-15, testing accuracy on the lower board.
Reverse Cricket
Start at 15 and work up to 20, then bullseye. Reverses the standard cricket order.
Shanghai
Progress through numbers 1-20, scoring only on that round's number. Instant win by hitting single, double, and treble in one turn (a Shanghai).
Killer
Throw with non-dominant hand to pick your number. Hit your own double to become a Killer, then target opponents' doubles to eliminate them.
Blind Killer
Secret number assignment — nobody knows who owns which number. Social deduction meets darts.
Follow the Leader
First player sets a target segment, all others must match it or lose a life. Leader rotates each round.
Halve-It
Hit predetermined targets each round. Miss all three darts and your entire score is halved. High-stakes accumulation game.
Fives
Three-dart total must be divisible by 5 to score. Score equals the total divided by 5. First to 50 wins.
Fifty-One by Fives
First to exactly 51 'fives.' Three-dart total must be divisible by 5. All three darts must score on the final turn.
Ho No!
Race to target score. Matching an opponent's exact total resets you to zero.
Double Down
Targets in fixed sequence: 15, 16, any double, 17, 18, any treble, 19, 20, bull. Miss all three in a round and score is halved.
Poker Darts
Build poker hands from dartboard hits. Pairs, straights, flushes, and full houses all count. Best hand wins.
HORSE
Like basketball HORSE. First player sets a target shot, next must match it exactly or earn a letter. Spell HORSE and you're out.
Three in a Bed
Only score when all three darts land in the same numbered segment. Tests grouping accuracy.
Scram
One player closes numbers (Stopper), the other accumulates points on open numbers (Scorer). Roles swap for round two.
Slip-Up
Around the World variant where missing the target sends you backwards. Punishing and tense.
Survivor
Low scorers pushed toward the edge each round. Fall off the virtual platform and you're eliminated.
Forty-One
Score exactly 41 each round using only your assigned number. Strategic number selection is key.
Brag
Wagering variant of Shanghai with bluffing and prediction elements. Part darts, part card game.
Bullseye Baseball
Baseball variant where you must hit bullseye each inning before runs count.
Football Darts
Hit bullseye for possession, score goals via doubles. First to 10 goals wins.
Battleship Darts
Secretly place fleet on dartboard segments. Throw darts to locate and sink opponent's ships. Strategic guessing game.
Grand National
Horse race themed. Race anticlockwise twice around the board with hurdles at certain numbers. Handicaps can be applied.
Prisoner
Go around the clock but missed darts stay as prisoners. Opponents can capture your prisoner darts for extra throws.
Castle
Build a 15-block castle on your number while knocking down opponents' castles. Defense and offense combined.
Indy 500
Car racing themed game with laps around the board and pit stops. Complete required laps to win.
Steeplechase
Race clockwise around the board. Certain segments are fences requiring treble hits to clear.
Yorkshire 501
501 on a Yorkshire board — no treble ring, no outer bull. Maximum per dart is 40 (double 20). A purer test of doubles accuracy.
Yorkshire Cricket
Cricket on a Yorkshire board. No treble shortcuts means closing numbers takes pure accuracy.
Ipswich Fives 505
Same layout as London Fives but with wider beds, making it slightly more accessible.
Kent Doubles
Yorkshire-style board brought to Kent by migrating miners. No trebles ring.
Preston Game
Played on a clay or plasticine board. Race twice around the board, then finish with two double-20s.
Lincoln Board Game
Yorkshire-type board that is entirely black. Standard formats: pairs 701, singles 501, team 1501.
Irish Black
Yorkshire layout on an entirely black surface made from elm or poplar wood. Traditional Irish variant.
Hampshire Board Game
Standard size with standard wires but no treble ring and no outer bull. Hampshire/Basingstoke regional variant.
Norfolk Board Game
10-inch elm board that required regular soaking to prevent drying. Used until the 1940s.
Burton Board Game
Yorkshire-like board with two unique 1-inch-square boxes. Only one surviving example known. Extremely rare.
Bath Board Game
Log-end board from elm or poplar. Earliest documented use circa 1906. Historic regional variant.
American Darts
Played on a basswood board with treble on outer edge and double inside. Handmade darts with turkey feathers. Traditional in Eastern PA/NJ/DE.
Dartball
Played on a 4-foot board with a baseball diamond layout. Church league staple since the 1920s, primarily Midwestern USA.
Vogelpik
Traditional Belgian/Dutch game played on a 7-inch straw board with birchwood darts. Name means 'bird peck.'
JDC Challenge
Official Junior Darts Corporation grading routine. Shanghai 10-15, doubles 1-20 + bull, Shanghai 15-20. Scores earn grades A-F.
A1 Routine
Hit numbers 20-13 plus bull, five times each. Track hit/miss ratio for comprehensive board coverage assessment.
Doubles Around the World
Hit D1-D20 then double bull in sequence with 3 darts per turn. Essential doubles proficiency drill.
Priestley Trebles
3 darts at each treble T10-T20. Maximum score of 33. Named after two-time World Champion Dennis Priestley.
420
Start at 420 and count down by hitting doubles D1-D20. All twenty doubles sum exactly to 420.
Levels
Progressive difficulty system. Success advances you to harder targets, failure drops you back. Self-adjusting difficulty.
PAW
3 darts at each number 1-20. Singles = 1, doubles = 2, trebles = 3. Maximum 9 per number, 180 total.
Checkouts Practice
Practice the key checkout doubles: 40, 36, 32, 28, 24, 20, 16, 12, 8, 4, 2. Essential match-play finishing.
201 Challenge
Finish 201 in the fewest darts possible with double-out. Quick scoring efficiency benchmark.
Speed 501
501 against a timer. Target benchmarks: 24 darts for beginners, 16 darts for advanced players.
Bullseye Drill
Throw 30 darts at bullseye and track hit percentage. Essential for checkout finishing skills.
Bull 500
Must hit bull first dart before scoring on 20 (or 19) with remaining darts. First to 500 points.
Doubles Lock
D20 to D1. Hit double to advance. Bonus: 2 hits = 50 extra, 3 hits = 100 extra. Doubles mastery drill.
Checkout Challenge
Start at 21. Finish in 3 darts to increase by 10, miss to decrease by 1. Adaptive checkout training.
SwitchBlade
Short daily practice routine with one dart at rotating targets. Quick 5-minute daily maintenance drill.
Streak
Build consecutive hit streaks on target. Longer streak = higher score. Trains mental consistency under pressure.
Doubles Snakes and Ladders
Doubles D1 to bull ascending. Miss all 3 darts at a double and drop back one level. Progressive doubles challenge.
DOLF
Golf-like dart game using all 20 segments as holes. Invented September 1, 1999 by Keith and Mike Meyer. Regulated by the World Dolf Federation (WDFF).
Golf Darts
Generic golf-darts format with 9 or 18 holes. Double ring = 1 stroke, treble = 2, miss = 5. Lowest total wins.
Under the Hat
DartsLive game. Pile hats via high scores. Miss your target and lose all stacked hats. Risk-reward mechanic.
Castle Bomber
DartsLive3 game. Destroy opponent's castle walls and king. Strategic target selection combined with accuracy.
Shoot Out
Scores multiplied by open segment areas each round. Dramatic comebacks possible with escalating multipliers.
Eagle's Eye
Bullseye-only game. Outer bull = 25, inner bull = 50. Pure bull accuracy competition.
Up Down Count-Up
Alternating plus/minus rounds. Sometimes you want high scores, sometimes you want to miss. Mind-bending strategy.
Rapid Fire
Quick succession throws at rapidly changing targets. Tests reaction time and speed alongside accuracy.
Wipe Out
Certain wipe-out segments reset your score to zero if hit. Navigate around them while accumulating points.
Ace
Random target each turn. Singles = 1, doubles = 2, trebles = 3, outer bull = 4, inner bull = 6. Electronic game.
Gold Hunt
Reach exactly 181 for 3 gold points. Popular on Phoenix electronic dartboard machines.
Car Rally
Auto racing themed game. Race around the board with obstacles at certain segments requiring two hits to pass.