How to Play Killer Darts (A Fun Elimination Game!)

One good thing about darts is you only need one dartboard to play various types of games. So, you aren’t afraid of getting bored. In case you’re tired of the typical 301 or 501 darts, try Killer darts! It’s a very fun game for both beginners and skilled players, depending on the rules you set.

Instead of winning by scoring points, you’ll need to try your best to eliminate your opponents, like a killer! Sound fun, right?

In this blog, we’ll show you how to play Killer darts as well as some variations to spice things up.

Basic Rules to Play Killer Darts

You cannot play this game alone since it’s an elimination game. It’s more fun when you play in a group of 3 to 8 players.

Decide the Playing Order

Players can take one turn to throw at the board. Whoever hits the closest to the bullseye will go first. The second closest to the bull will go second until the furthest will go last.

This is one of the easiest ways to decide the playing order. Of course, you can do it another way as long as all the players agree.

Assign the Numbers to the Players

To play the Killer darts, each player has to pick a unique number on the board. Two players cannot have the same number.

Following the playing order, the players will take a turn to throw with their non-dominant hands. So, if you’re right-handed, you’ll throw with your left hand, and vice versa. The number you hit will be assigned to you for the rest of the game.

If a player hits the number that has already been assigned to another player, he/she needs to throw again to pick another one.

Obtain the Killer status

Each player will have 3 darts per turn to throw at the board. They can use their dominant hands to throw again.

The first main objective of this game is to get the Killer status by hitting the double section of the assigned number. For example, if you get the number 2, you’ll need to hit the double section of the number 2 to be a Killer.

For a standard game, a player only needs to hit the double section once for the Killer status. And there can be multiple Killers at a time.

But if this is too easy for the participants, you can modify the rule a little bit. For example, a player will need to hit the double 3 times to become a Killer.

Start Eliminating Others

Now, after becoming a Killer, you’ll do what a killer does – killing!

Each player will normally have 3 lives.

A Killer can take away one life from another player by hitting the double section of that player’s number. At this point, you can probably guess how to win the game. The last one standing will be the winner.

It’s possible and totally fair to “kill” your opponents before they gain the Killer status. So, try your best to achieve the status as soon as possible!

And be careful with every throw. Killers will take one of their own lives if they accidentally hit the double section of their own numbers.

Variations to Play Killer Darts

Depending on the players’ skills, you can add more rules to make the game more enjoyable or more challenging. Here are some rules you can add:

1. More lives can be added to the players to make a game longer. Make it 6 for example.

2. To make the game even quicker, all players can start with the Killer status. But personally, we don’t recommend this one.

3. You can modify the rule for obtaining the Killer status to make it more challenging. For example:

• One must hit a triple section instead of the double, or
• One must hit all the single, double, and triple, or
• One must score 5 points (single, double, triple give 1, 2, 3 points respectively)

4. You can modify the rule to remove one life, like the ideas in the bullet points above. For example, a killer needs to hit the triple section (instead of the double) of an opponent’s number to take his/her life.

5. You can introduce a rule that one can get an extra life when hitting the inner bullseye. There should be a maximum number of lives for each player.

6. You can modify the rule where there will be only one killer at a time.

7. You can play the Blind Killer darts game. In this variation, players only know the numbers in play but do not know whom the numbers are assigned to. So, how players can pick their numbers without letting others know? One can throw while everyone else turns their back away. Randomly picking a number from a hat or bucket is also an alternative option. Someone not playing will be needed to note the players and their assigned numbers. This blind game is fun since everyone can play the mind game by telling false information to distract others.

Tips on How to Play Killer Darts

You should pick a number that is far away from others. You will want to avoid hitting your own number and removing one of your lives accidentally when missing your throws. Another tip is don’t try to kill the players whose numbers are next to yours. Eliminate them last.

Try to notice the ones with only a few lives left. Eliminate them first. The fewer opponents, the better.

Another fun tip is when going against very skilled players, try to build alliances with some others. This may sound a bit dirty. But hey, it’s practical!

Conclusion

There you have it! How to play Killer darts. Among other games, it’s a very fun game to play and can trigger a lot of engagement and communication among the players. So, try it out! Modify the rules to make it even more enjoyable and engaging! Have fun!

If you’re still unsure about how to play and the rules of the game, you can reach out to us directly on the Ingahub website or simply leave a comment below. We’ll be glad to answer any questions you have.