How to Play Killer Darts Game
Key Takeaways
- Killer darts is an elimination style game that suits large numbers of players
- Can be played with both even and odd numbers of players
- There are no fast counting or mathematical skills required
- Killer is a fun and fast-paced dart game that is beginner-friendly
- The game can be a tactical battle between players
Number of Players
The darts game killer, require at least 3 players to play the game, however more is welcome, and it can be played with 20 players.
It also doesn’t matter if the number of players is an odd number, which is unlike most other darts games, as a dummy player often has to be used.
What is the Objective of Killer Darts?
The objective of the game is to be the last player standing after all the other players have been eliminated from the game. To do this, you must become a killer.
How to Play Killer Darts
To play killer darts, there are three parts to the game:
- Picking player numbers
- Becoming a killer
- Eliminating players
Picking Player Numbers
The first thing you need to do, is assign every player a number.
This will be the number that each player will have for the duration of the game, and the target for everyone else.
- To pick numbers, players throw one dart towards the dartboard with their weaker hand
- If another players land in the number of someone else, they need to throw again for another number
The game doesn’t work with multiple players having the same numbers.
When player numbers are decided, the game officially starts with the first player in the game.
To decide the playing order:
- Each player can throw a dart closest to bull and whoever gets nearest, goes first
- Alternatively, players can throw one dart with their non-dominant hand for the highest score
- When there are a lot of players playing, it can also be just as easy to pick names out of a hat, but it’s entirely up to you and the other players.
Becoming a Killer
Now it’s time to start the game and aim to become a killer.
When you are at killer status, you have the power to eliminate your opponents in the next part of the game.
To become a killer, you must hit the double of your own number.
There is also no limit on the amount of killers that is possible, everyone can be a killer if they have hit their own double.
Eliminating Players
Now to the fun part of the game, removing lives.
Each player begins the game with three lives, and lives can only be removed by the killers in the game.
- Every time a killer hits a double belonging to another player, one life is taken away
- If you are a killer and hit the double of your number by mistake, you also lose a life
When all three lives are gone, the player is out of the game.
What Are The Rules Of Killer Darts
The killer darts rules are easy and straight forward to understand:
- No two players can have the same numbers
- Each player has three darts per round
- Every player has three lives
- When all three lives are lost, a player is knocked out of the game
- Killer status is achieved by hitting the double of your own number
- If a killer hits their own double, one of their one lives is also removed
The game continues in that fashion, until there is one player remaining with lives, and declared the winner.
How to Score Killer Darts?
The good news is, killer darts requires no scoring, or at least no difficult scoring during the game. I know lots of players, especially new ones to darts, will be happy with that.
- To score a game of killer, you just need to write each player’s name and number alongside each other on the left side of the scoreboard
- To the right side, draw three dashes, or 1’s to represent their lives in the game
- When a player loses one of the lives, cross one out on the board
- If you are chalking on the board, you can rub the lives out
- When a player becomes a killer in the game, write the initial ‘K’ beside the player’s name
Variations to the Darts Game Killer
There are tonnes of variations you can make to the darts game, which many players do.
Handicapping Skilled Players
It’s hard to get a game, when lots of players are involved, to be all at the same level.
So much of the variations come down to the skill levels of players, in an attempt to make the game more competitive, which include;
- Increasing the number of lives for advanced players
- Handicap skilled players by making them hit the triple to get killer status
Blind Killer
Blind killer, is a great variation to the traditional style, in which players don’t know which number belongs to which player.
- When picking numbers, each player turns away while the player throws for a number
- The game rules also change slightly as every player starts the game as killer
It doesn’t really work as well, unless you are playing in a large group.
One Killer Game
Some players also play the game, where there is only one killer at a time. Killers change in the game when the double is hit and the player to do it, becomes the new killer in the game.
Tips and Strategies
Even though the game is simple to play, there can be lots of strategy involved.
Avoid going after players beside you on the board. Attacking their double is very risky, because obviously one stray dart, and you could end up removing one of your own lives.
Form alliances with other players, possibly the ones beside you if they are a killer as well, seeing as it’s mutually beneficial for both players to leave each other alone.
This will allow you all to target the experienced players and particularly strong darts players, or the ones that have all their lives remaining.
