Killer Darts Rules

Elimination game in two phases. Claim your number, then attack opponents.

Overview

Killer is an exciting elimination darts game played in two distinct phases. In the first phase, each player claims a unique number by hitting its double. In the second phase, players attack opponents by hitting the doubles of their claimed numbers to take away lives, while defending their own number to regain lost lives. The last player standing wins.

Killer is best played with 3 to 6 players, making it an ideal pub game and one of the most popular social darts formats. The game rewards accuracy on doubles, strategic targeting, and awareness of which opponents pose the greatest threat.

Game Setup

Phase 1: Number Selection

Before the main game begins, each player must claim a unique number from 1 to 20. To claim a number, a player must hit the double of that number. Bull (25) cannot be selected as a killer number.

Players take turns throwing up to 3 darts per turn. A player's turn continues until they hit the double of an unclaimed number (which claims that number) or until they use all 3 darts without claiming a number. If a player hits the double of a number that another player has already claimed, the throw does not count and the dart is wasted.

Once all players have claimed a number, Phase 2 begins.

Phase 2: Playing

In the playing phase, each player throws 3 darts per turn. The objective is to eliminate opponents by reducing their lives to zero, while keeping your own lives intact.

Attacking

To attack an opponent, hit the double of their claimed number. Each double hit removes one life from that opponent. Only doubles count — singles and triples on an opponent's number have no effect.

You can target multiple opponents in a single turn if you hit the doubles of different players' numbers. For example, if Player B owns number 8 and Player C owns number 14, hitting D8 and D14 in the same turn removes one life from each of them.

Defending

To defend, hit the double of your own claimed number. Each hit on your own double restores one life. However, you cannot exceed your starting number of lives. If you started with 3 lives and currently have 3, hitting your own double has no effect.

Elimination

When a player's lives reach zero, they are eliminated from the game. Eliminated players are assigned a finish position based on the order they were eliminated — the first player eliminated finishes last, and so on. Eliminated players no longer throw darts, and their number can no longer be targeted.

Win Condition

The last player with lives remaining wins the leg. The winner is assigned position 1, and all other players are ranked by elimination order.

In a best-of-N-legs format, a new leg resets all players to full lives and returns to Phase 1 (number selection). The starting player rotates with each new leg to ensure fairness.

Strategy Tips

• Choose your number wisely: During Phase 1, consider claiming a number whose double you are confident hitting for defense. Some players prefer numbers they rarely aim at so opponents are less practiced at their double.
• Target the leaders: Focus on players with more lives first. Eliminating a player who has many lives removes a bigger threat and reduces the number of opponents.
• Defend when low: If you are down to 1 life, it may be worth spending a dart on your own double to restore a life before continuing to attack.
• Spread your attacks: Reducing multiple opponents to low lives creates pressure on everyone. A player with 1 life must play more carefully.
• Remember the doubles: Killer is fundamentally a doubles game. Use it as practice to sharpen your accuracy on the double ring.
• Watch the board: Keep track of which numbers belong to which players. Knowing the current lives of every opponent helps you make smarter targeting decisions.

Example Round

Suppose four players have completed Phase 1:

Alice throws: D20 (Charlie loses 1 life), S8 (no effect — not a double), D11 (Dana loses 1 life). After Alice's turn, Charlie has 2 lives and Dana has 2 lives.

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