Darts
Aim, steady your hand and throw: 501 down to zero, out on a double.
Darts on a standard board, from 501 down. Hold your finger on the board to aim, and the sight drifts gently with your hand; let go just as it crosses the number you want. The last dart has to land in a double, or the turn does not count. There is also Around the Clock on the doubles and a 501 with a shakier hand, and every day brings a Daily 501, the same for everyone.
- Category
- Arcade
- Modes
- 501 · Around the Clock · 501 Pro · Daily
- Controls
- Mouse · Touch
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How to play
Press on the board to aim: it zooms in and the sight appears just above your finger, swaying with your hand. Slide your finger to steer it and lift it to throw. You have three darts a turn. In 501 you count down to exactly zero, and the last dart must be a double or the bull; going below zero, down to 1, or finishing on a single is a bust and the turn is undone. The thin inner ring trebles a number and the outer ring doubles it. In Around the Clock you hit the double of 1, then of 2 and so on up to 20, then the bull. Your score is the darts thrown, fewer is better.
What is Darts?
Darts is the pub game that grew into a televised sport. Here you throw at a standard board, with the twenty numbers laid out as on a real one, 20 at the top, 6 on the right, 3 at the bottom and 11 on the left, the double ring around the edge and the treble ring halfway in.
No hand is ever perfectly still: the sight sways slowly, and the skill is in lifting your finger just as it crosses the number you want. Play 501, Around the Clock on the doubles, or a 501 with a shakier hand, and every day brings a Daily 501, the same for everyone.
How to play Darts
Press on the board to aim. The board zooms in and the sight appears just above your finger, so you can see where you are throwing.
- Throwing. Slide your finger to move the sight and lift it to throw. The dart lands where the sight was at that moment, give or take a little.
- 501. You start on 501 and take off what you hit, three darts a turn, until you reach exactly zero.
- Checking out. The last dart must be a double or the bull. Going below zero, down to 1, or reaching zero on a single is a bust, and the turn is undone.
- Around the Clock. Hit the double of 1, then of 2 and so on up to 20, then the bull.
- Score. Your score is the darts thrown, fewer is better. An unfinished game ranks below every finished one.
Tips and strategy
- Treble 20. It is the biggest target on the board, 60 points. In 501 aim for it while you still have a lot to take off.
- Wait for the moment. The sight sways in loops; follow it for a beat and throw as it passes through the middle of the number.
- Leave yourself a friendly double. Near the end, try to sit on 32 (double 16) or 40 (double 20): a miss into the single still leaves a double.
- Read the checkout. Under 170, the game shows what to hit to finish this turn.
- Be patient on the clock. The doubles are narrow; one well-timed throw beats three rushed ones.
Frequently asked questions
Is Darts free?
Yes. Like every game on Play, it runs free in your browser, with no download and no account.
Why does the sight move?
Because no hand stays perfectly still. The sight sways in a pattern, and the art is to throw at the right moment.
What is a bust?
If you go below zero, down to 1, or reach zero without a double, the turn's points do not count and the turn ends at once.
What is 501 Pro?
The same 501 with a shakier hand: the sight sways wider and the darts scatter more.
What is the Daily 501?
Every day everyone plays the same 501, so the number of darts compares directly on the leaderboard.
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