DARTY PARTY MINI GAME GUIDE: CLASSIC 501 DARTBOARD GAME | DIGITAL DOWNLOAD

Classic 501 is the original dartboard game. The household favourite. Every pub dartboard in the country has seen ten thousand games of it. And there's a reason it's been the standard darts game for over a century — it's simple to understand and genuinely hard to master.

Each player starts at 501. You subtract your score each turn. First to reach exactly zero — finishing on a double or the bullseye — wins.

That's it. Except the finishing bit is harder than it looks, which is exactly why people keep coming back.

The Shake It Up variations in this guide include:

Closest to Zero — a simplified version for younger players or anyone new to darts. No doubles required to finish. Great for kids dart board games and for introducing darts to little ones without the frustration.

501 Relay — team mode. Great for groups. Works brilliantly for parties and family game nights with bigger numbers.

Nickname Multiplier — pick a nickname and a scoring multiplier. Exactly as chaotic as it sounds. One of our favourites.

This is a downloadable darts party game — pay once and your download link arrives by email immediately. No waiting, no shipping, nothing to install.

ONE PRINTABLE DARTS GAME WITH 5+ WAYS TO PLAY - IN PDF FORMAT

The game has full darts rules, a dart scorer guide, Quick Fire, and Shake It Up variations on the same card. Phone-friendly layout so you can load any game in seconds.

EASY DARTS SCOREBOARD

We've made your darts scoring system a doddle with our custom darts scoreboards, which work with all Darty Party dartboard games. We also give you a freestyle one for good measure. Best used as a printable dartboard scorer - make as many copies as you need. Replaces any separate and fiddly darts scoreboard app.

SHAKE IT UP WAYS TO PLAY

Shake It Up provides variations of classic games. Reimagined dart games for kids or less experienced players, chaos modes for maximum energy, and team modes for groups. Quick Fire options are for when patience is running thin.

One-off purchase. Not a subscription. Download, print and play as many times as you like.

FOR FAMILIES, PARTY PEOPLE AND ANYONE WITH A DARTBOARD.

Darty Party is designed for everyone and every occasion. You're probably included in that.

FAMILIES WITH MIXED AGES

We have options for all types of play, classic, simplified, chaos and team. The Closest to Zero 'Shake It Up' turns 501 into one of the better dart board games for kids 5+ and adults in the same group.

FOR PARTIES AND GAME NIGHTS. 

501 with the Nickname Multiplier Shake It Up variation is a different game entirely. Fast, loud and competitive. Works for pre-drinks, BBQs and game nights equally well.

FOR DARTBOARD OWNERS WHO WANT MORE WAYS TO PLAY. 

If you already have a dart board — whether that's a bristle dartboard, a magnetic dart board or interactive dart board — this guide gives you more darts games to play on it. No need to buy a whole new dartboard set.

ANYONE WHO WANTS TO KNOW THE DARTS RULES: 501. 

The guide explains the full 501 dart game rules clearly including how darts scoring works and what counts as a valid finish. Interested in knowing why darts starts at 501 (spoiler: it's in the FAQ below)..

DOWNLOAD. 

Pay once. Your link appears after payment and arrives by email immediately. Download.

OPEN ON ANY DEVICE. 

Well, not any device; if you're still rocking a pager from the 90s, you might struggle, Phil.

Phone, tablet, laptop - all will work perfectly. No app. No login. It's a joyfully simple PDF.

PICK. 

Pick your style of play. Classic, Quick Fire, or let the fun begin with our Shake It Up variations.

PLAY. 

Two minutes to explain, then you're throwing darts like you mean it.  

PRINT.

You can print the dart game guides or play using your device. The darts scoreboard templates can be printed as many times as you like.

THIS IS A MINI GAME GUIDE — ONE GAME, FIVE-PLUS WAYS TO PLAY, FOR £2.99.

If you want all twelve Darty Party games (including Killer, American Cricket, Shanghai, Knockout, Football, Grand National and more), the full Darty Party Digital Bundle gives you everything in one download — 12 dart games, 30-plus ways to play, and all the custom darts scoreboards — for £9.99.

THE 12 DARTY PARTY GAMES

Every game comes with plain English
rules, a visual scoring guide and Shake It Up variations so you can dial the chaos up, down or sideways. Here's what's inside.

CLASSIC 501  —  MED · 20–30 MINS · 1+ PLAYERS

The original dart board game, done properly and with optional twists. Start at 501, subtract your score each turn, and finish on a double or bullseye.

Comes with Closest to Zero for younger players, 501 Relay for team play, and Nickname Multiplier — which is exactly as chaotic as it sounds.

KILLER  —  EASY · 10–30 MINS · 2–10 PLAYERS

Killer darts is the game that turns any group into allies and enemies within ten minutes — the most played game in the pack by some distance.

Includes Blind Killer, Singles Killer, One Killer Only and Double or Treble Killer.

AROUND THE WORLD  —  EASY · 20–30 MINS · 1+ PLAYERS

Hit 1 through 20 in order, finish on the bullseye. Simple to explain, impossible to
get bored of.

Added extras include Bullseye Bomb, which lets you sacrifice your turn to send everyone else back, and Skip, Switch and Swap. Also known as Around the Clock darts.

SHANGHAI  —  MED · 20–45 MINS · 2+ PLAYERS

Each round has a target number. Score points by hitting it. Win instantly by hitting
a Shanghai: a single, double and treble of the same number with your three darts, you must then shout 'Shanghai,' and do a small dance. It's in the rules.

AMERICAN CRICKET  —  TRICKY · 20–45 MINS · 2+ PLAYERS OR TEAMS

This is a great head-to-head dartboard game. Our simple dart board cricket rules take two minutes to explain, but it's one of the longer playing times in the pack.

Our favourite Shake It Up is Sticky Wicket. A brilliant faster-paced variant for families or party situations

FOLLOW THE LEADER  —  HARD · 5–10 MINS · 2+ PLAYERS

The leader throws and calls the target. Everyone else has three darts to match it
or lose a life. Fast, competitive and surprisingly brutal.

Our Captain and Crew variation turns it into a team sport — useful if you want someone else to blame for the result.

FOOTBALL  —  MED · 10–15 MINS · 2+ PLAYERS

Hit the bullseye to kick off, then score goals by hitting doubles. First to ten wins.

Our Pitch Play variant works perfectly for kids and adults in the same group. Own goals are possible. VAR is not included.

GRAND NATIONAL  —  MED · 20–30 MINS · 1+ PLAYERS

You're the horse. The dartboard is the racecourse. Race anticlockwise from 20 — miss with all three darts, and you're out of the race.

Place Your Bets adds forfeits
for anyone who backed the wrong horse. Galloping around the room is optional
but encouraged.

SUDDEN DEATH  — EASY · 5–10 MINS · 2+ PLAYERS

Everyone throws three darts. Lowest score each round is out. Simple, savage, very good fun.

Shake It Up variations introduce the powers of Reincarnation and Resurrection. 

NOUGHTS AND CROSSES  —  EASY · 5–10 MINS · 2 PLAYERS OR TEAMS

It's Noughts & Crosses, but as a dart game.

Our Shake It Up variation, Noughts and Chaos, is gloriously ridiculous. Kids love it. Adults love it. The perfect group party game or family game, game. 

BULLSHOT —  EASY · 15–20 MINS · 2+ PLAYERS

Each ring on the dart board scores differently — outer rings lose you points, inner rings earn them.

Opt for chaos with Shake It Up - 'Double or Nothing' - and please tag us in your attempts, we cried laughing at Darty Party HQ, when coming up
with this one. 

KNOCKOUT —  EASY · 15–20 MINS · 2+ PLAYERS

Beat the target score or lose a life. Swift, and satisfying.

Shake It Up, Escalator mode fixes the target and raises it every round — the pressure builds beautifully. Bedlam adds Double Trouble, Reversal and Bullseye Wipe for when you want maximum anarchy. And we love maximum anarchy.

COMING SOON

Launching later in 2026 — the Darty Party physical set. Magnetic dart board, six magnetic darts, twelve game cards, wipe-clean darts scoreboards and a dry-wipe winner's trophy.

Sign up to get first access and 10% off.