Dart Game Encyclopedia
Showing 36 of 157 dart game variants with rules, scoring, and strategy
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.
Cut-Throat Cricket
Points scored on open numbers are added to opponents' totals. Lowest score wins. Best cricket variant for 3+ players.
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.
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.
Bullseye Baseball
Baseball variant where you must hit bullseye each inning before runs count.
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.
Kent Doubles
Yorkshire-style board brought to Kent by migrating miners. No trebles ring.
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.
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.'
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.
Eagle's Eye
Bullseye-only game. Outer bull = 25, inner bull = 50. Pure bull accuracy competition.
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.