Guides · Darts games · 10 min read
The best darts games for every situation
The best darts games depend on who is at the board. 501 and Cricket suit two players, Killer a group, Around the Clock beginners and kids, and Bob’s 27 anyone practising alone.
In short
- 2 players: 501 for a match, Cricket for tactics.
- Groups: Killer or Elimination, everyone against everyone.
- Beginners and kids: Around the Clock or High Score.
- On your own: Bob’s 27 for doubles, with a score to beat.
At a glance
Which darts game should you play?
Pick by the number of players first and by their level second. Sridu has over 40 game modes plus many well-known variants, so most of them are covered. The darts games A–Z lists every game you can play in it.
- Newcomers score with any hit. No bust, no checkout.
- Regulars want doubles, trebles and a finish to aim for.
- Linked games in the table are game modes in Sridu, with full rules. The rest need only a chalkboard.
| Game | Players | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| 501 (X01) | 2+, teams | Matches, league practice |
| Cricket | 2+, teams | Two players, tactics |
| Scram | 2 | A quick duel |
| Tic-Tac-Toe | 2 or 2 teams | Duels at mixed levels |
| Darts Football | 2 | Fun duels |
| Killer | 3 to 6, teams | Parties, pub nights |
| Elimination | 3+ | Groups who know 501 |
| Beat It | 2+ | Parties, quick rules |
| Last One Standing | 3+ | Big groups |
| Around the Clock | 1+ | Beginners, kids, warm-up |
| High Score | 1+ | Beginners, kids |
| Golf | 1+ | Families, mixed groups |
| Baseball | 1+ | Beginners, kids |
| Bob’s 27 | 1+ | Doubles practice |
| Darts at a Number | 1+ | Scoring practice |
| 121 | 1+ | Checkout practice |
| Checkout King | 1+ | Checkout practice |
| Shanghai | 1+ | Pub nights |
| Halve-It | 1+ | Pub nights, nerve |
| Mickey Mouse | 2+ | A longer Cricket |
| Fives (51 by 5s) | 2+ | Mental arithmetic |
New to the words? A visit is your three darts in a row, a leg is one game, and a bust is a visit that overshoots and doesn’t count. The darts terms guide explains the rest.
Head to head
What are the best darts games for 2 players?
501 is the best darts game for 2 players who want a real match, and Cricket is the best for players who like tactics. The other duels stay close even when one player is clearly better. All of them, with times, levels and handicaps, are in darts games for 2 players.
Cricket, 2 or more players
- Close your numbersEach target needs three marks. A double counts two, a treble three.
- Score on the open onesHits on a number you have closed score its points while your opponent still has it open.
- Close all sevenDo it with at least as many points as your opponent and you win.
- 501 (X01)Count down from 501 to exactly zero, three darts a visit, and finish on a double. The game of every league and TV final.
- ScramThe stopper closes numbers with any hit, the scorer scores on those still open. Then you swap roles, and the higher total wins.
- Tic-Tac-ToeNoughts and crosses on the dartboard: hit a cell’s target to take it. Three in a row wins, and blocking is half the fun.
- Darts FootballA bull wins the ball, and only the player on the ball scores goals, one double after another. The first to score every goal in the range wins.
Nobody to play? Play a bot. In Sridu you set its 3-dart average to your own level, so a leg of 501 or Cricket stays close even at midnight.
Fancy another sport? Tennis Darts turns the board into a court, Snooker Darts has reds, colours and breaks, and in Battleship you hunt the other fleet on the board.
Three or more
Which darts party games work best for groups?
The best darts party games let everyone attack everyone, so nobody waits long for a result they can’t change. Killer is the pub favourite.
Killer, 3 to 6 players
- Get a numberTraditionally by throwing one dart with your weaker hand.
- Become a killerHit your own double. Until then your darts can’t hurt anyone.
- Take livesEach hit on another player’s double costs them a life, usually one of three. The last player with a life wins.
- Elimination, 3 or moreEveryone counts down from 301 as in 501. Land exactly on another player’s score and you send them back to the start.
- Beat It, 2 or moreScore more than the visit before you, or lose a life. A weak visit hands the next player an easy target. Higher or Lower adds a second bar: over the high one or under the low one.
- Last One Standing, 3 or moreOne target a round for everyone: a number, a double, a treble or the bull. Miss it with all three darts and you lose a life.
- Team 501 or Cricket, 4 or morePartners share one score and throw alternate visits. A strong player can carry a newcomer.
More than six people? Play in teams so the game doesn’t drag. The guide to darts party games plans a whole evening for up to 20 people. An extra life in Killer or a lower start score in Elimination keeps beginners in the game.
21 Blackjack and Nine-Dart Century are quick rounds for any number of players: get close to the target without going over.
Easy to learn
Which darts games are easiest for beginners and kids?
Around the Clock is the easiest darts game to start with: you only need to hit each number in turn. Good darts games for kids reward any hit and have no bust and no checkout. For the first steps, read darts for beginners.
Around the Clock, 1 or more players
- Start on the 1Any ring of the number counts.
- Work up to the 20Hit it and move straight on to the next number, even in the same visit.
- Finish on the bullThe first player through wins.
- High ScoreEight rounds of three darts, and every dart scores what it hits. The highest total wins, and there is nothing to learn.
- GolfNine holes, each one a number, par 3 on every hole. A double is a hole in one, a miss counts five strokes, and the lowest total wins.
- BaseballNine innings on the 1 to the 9, three darts each. A single scores 1 run, a double 2 and a treble 3.
- Cricket without pointsOnly close the numbers, with no scoring. The first to close all seven wins, a gentle way into Cricket.
Steel-tip darts are sharp. With children, an adult watches, everyone stands behind the thrower, and nobody walks to the board until all darts are thrown. Kids can throw from closer than 2.37 m, and a soft-tip board is the safer start for young children, see steel-tip vs soft-tip.
Let the app count. Adding up is often the hardest part for children. If a scoring app such as Sridu does the maths, kids can concentrate on throwing.
Dart Bingo and Bowling Darts are easy to explain and keep everyone busy.
On your own
Which darts games can you play alone?
The best darts games to play alone end with a score, so today’s session sets the number to beat. The darts practice routine puts them into a 30-minute plan.
Bob’s 27, the doubles drill
- Start on 27 pointsThree darts at the double 1, then the double 2, up to the double 20 and the bull.
- Hits add, blanks costEvery hit adds the double’s value. A round without a hit takes that value off once.
- Zero ends itDrop to zero or below and you are out.
- 27start score
- 21rounds
- 1437maximum
- Darts at a Number100 darts at one number, usually the 20. A single scores 1, a double 2 and a treble 3, so the maximum is 300.
- 121Check out 121 in nine darts, then try 122 and upwards. Miss and you drop back to your last checkpoint.
- Checkout KingA random finish each visit and three darts to take it out. Every checkout adds to your streak, and one miss resets it.
- Around the Clock on doublesOnly the double ring counts: twenty doubles and the bull, the targets that finish a leg of 501.
Pub classics
What are the classic pub darts games?
Next to Killer and 501, Shanghai, Halve-It, Mickey Mouse and Fives are the best known in British pubs and clubs. They were made for a chalkboard, and house rules change from one bar to the next.
Shanghai, 1 or more players
- One number a roundRound 1 on the 1, round 2 on the 2, usually for seven rounds.
- Only that number scoresDoubles and trebles of it count in full, every other dart scores nothing.
- Shanghai wins outrightHit its single, double and treble in one visit, and even the player in last place wins.
- Halve-ItOne target a round from a fixed list, such as the 20, any double or the bull. Miss it with all three darts and your score is cut in half.
- Mickey MouseA longer Cricket: close the 20 down to the 12, then any three doubles, any three trebles and the bull. Many pubs also score on closed numbers. In Sridu it is a setting of Cricket.
- Fives (51 by 5s)A visit only scores if its total divides by 5, and then scores a fifth: 60 is worth 12. First to exactly 51 wins, and going over is a bust.
More party games, such as Blackout, Radar and Rapid Fire, are on the game modes page.
English Cricket: one side bats for runs over 40, the other bowls at the bull.
Mixed levels
How do you make a darts game fair for mixed levels?
Give the weaker player a head start, so the game stays close and nobody has to throw badly on purpose. Agree on it before the first dart and adjust it after a game or two.
| Game | Head start for the weaker player | Harder for the stronger player |
|---|---|---|
| 501 (X01) | A lower start, such as 301 against 501, or any finish instead of a double | Double in as well |
| Cricket | The 15, or the 15 to the 17, closed from the start | Only doubles and trebles count |
| Killer | An extra life, or a killer from the first dart | One life fewer |
| Golf | A few strokes off the total | One dart per hole |
| Around the Clock | Any ring counts | Doubles only |
- Mix the teamsPair the strongest player with the weakest, and both sides have a chance.
- Add some luckTic-Tac-Toe, Beat It and Shanghai even out the levels on their own.
Handicaps in the app: Many game modes in Sridu take a handicap per player, from a different start score or double in for X01 to closed numbers in Cricket, strokes in Golf or a killer from the first dart. Teams play with the handicap of their first player.
Sources: WDF Playing and Tournament Rules (throwing distance, double finish, bust rule).
FAQ
Questions about darts games
What is the most popular darts game?
501 is the most played darts game worldwide, the format of tournaments, leagues and most pub matches. Cricket is the other big one, especially in the United States.
What is the best darts game for 2 players?
For a real match, 501. For tactics, Cricket. If the levels are far apart, choose a game where luck and tactics play a part, such as Tic-Tac-Toe or Darts Football, or give the weaker player a handicap.
What do you need to play darts games at home?
A steel-tip dartboard hung with the centre of the bull 1.73 m above the floor, a throwing line 2.37 m from the face of the board, three darts for each player and a way to keep score. The guides on how to hang a dartboard and how to choose darts cover the details.
What is the easiest darts game for kids?
High Score, because every dart that hits the board scores. Around the Clock comes next and teaches the numbers. Keep the games short and let an adult or an app keep score.
How many people can play darts at once?
Most darts games work with two to six players. With more, split into teams that share a score, or play Killer or Last One Standing, where players drop out as the game goes on. For a party, see darts party games for groups.
Guides
Related guides
Play these darts games tonight
Open Sridu in your browser, add players or a bot and pick a game. It keeps score for every linked darts game on this page, by webcam or by tapping. No account, nothing to install.