Dartboard Games, Prisoner
Players: Best played with 5 or more people plus but can be played with 2
Prisoner darts game is best played with a group of players around the clock on the outer part of the dartboard. Miss and leave your dart in the dartboard. It is a prisoner of the board! Your opponent(s) can capture your dart, or you may be lucky to win it back!
Rules:
The object is to be the first to shoot "around the clock" one dart in each number from 1, clockwise, to 20.
Each player should throw one dart at the bullseye. The closest to the bullseye goes first, and the furthest goes last.
The first player tries to hit one dart into each number in order, starting with the number 1, but the scoring target is only from the triple ring to the double ring. (triple and double included)
After number 1 is hit in the playable area, the next target is 18 and so on, clockwise around the board.
If the player's dart misses the board (outside the doubles ring) or bounces out, the dart is left on the board for one turn. The player throws only two darts the next turn and may pull the lost dart for use in the next turn.
Now for the Prisoner part: If the player throws a dart into the area from the bullseye to the triples ring (inner bullseye and outer bullseye included), the dart is left in the board and is a "Prisoner". A prisoner dart remains on the board until any player (including the player who threw the dart) hits the playable area of the same number (in the case of the bullseye, hitting another bullseye captures the prisoner). Once a player captures a "prisoner", the dart is theirs to use for the rest of the game (unless it is lost similarly).
If there is more than one "prisoner" dart that may be captured, they may only be captured one at a time. For example, two darts in the small 18 between the bullseye and the triple ring must be thrown into the playable area 18 to capture them both.
After the first "prisoner" is captured, one player will have four darts to use, while the player who lost the dart has only two. By the end of the game, you might be playing with seven darts, and none of them might be yours!
Play continues until one player has thrown a dart at every number from 1 through 20 in the target area. The first player to do this wins the game. It sounds crazy, but it can be a lot of fun.
© Darts-Oche TM
More Dart Games...
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Various names are given to this game. Easy to play and great for beginners to help hone their skills.
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180 Around the Clock
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Has any American or Japanese darts fan may tell you, you can buy dartboards designed for this game. However, here are some rules to play on a standard dartboard. This game is not to be confused with the famous ‘Dartball Dart’ game.
Battleship Darts
David King's version of Battleship Darts. This game is based on the pen-n-paper grid game, but the dartboard segments replace the grid. Use the bullseye as a radar vessel identifier. The first to destroy their opponent's fleet is the winner.
Chase the Dragon
Designed by David King for the more experienced dart player, this game can be fast, or if you feel you are that good, try the three-headed dragon variation!
Cricket
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Cricket - Wickets and Runs
As the name suggests, this is a version of crickets where wickets and runs are required. I tend o call this ‘English Cricket’ so it isn’t confused with the general darts game ‘Cricket’ where segments are closed before scoring.
Fives
Something different, 5’s might make your last throw crucial because if your total score isn’t divisible by 5 to a whole round number, you don’t score!
Follow On / Follow the Leader
How good are you at replicating your opponent's score? Not just the big scores but the doubles, trebles and bullseye. Follow On or Follow the Leader will test any player's skill as you have to hit in order what your opponent has just achieved.
Football
Darts has its version of the most played sport in the world, 'Football'. Easy rules and fun to play if you are a Football fan or Soccer, as some like to call it!
Golf
Are you the Tiger Wood of the Dartboad? Establish your handicap, and you are good to go. The handicap can level the playing field for all levels to play and enjoy.
Grand National
Designed by David King, this game is similar to other horse racing with steeple jumps. However, this is a little harder as you need to complete two circuits over jumps as per the 'Grand National' as the game gets harder the further down the track you make. Handicaps can be applied, but watch as some of the front runners may fall early!
Halve it!
Score as much as you can on the selected numbers, but miss one, then your accumulative score is halved! You determine the numbers and target areas; examples are shown.
Hare and Hounds
Who is the hare, and who is the hound? The chase game is an easy but fun game to play for beginners. Will you get away from the jaws of the hound?
Ho No!
A simple game with a race to a target number, but watch out; your opponents may set you back to Zero! HO No!
Killer and Blind Killer
There is murder on the dartboard! Killer requires several players. However, to stop the mob from ganging up on you, 'Blind Killer’ lets you play incognito. A true favourite amongst friends!
Knockout
Up for the fight? Who is the stronger? A straight knockout is a game designed for several players to play simultaneously. A good quick league team warm-up game. High scores win this contest.
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Loop / Loopy
Loop or Loopy, as some like to call it, is a game played in many pubs and clubs, usually for a small wager. However, I have also seen many dartboard wire number rings break because of this game. It also isn’t suitable for modern dartboard number rings. A high skill level is required.
Mickey Mouse
As the name applies, this is a game where the rules of a strict game are changed! Mickey Mouse is a simplified game of cricket. Played for fun and speed, this game is suitable for players new to the sport.
Nine Lives
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Noughts and Crosses / (Tic-Tac-Toe)
Noughts and Crosses, or as some call it, ‘Tic-Tac-Toe’, is a fun game, and unlike the pen and ink game, you may find you have more winners than a constant draw! Numbers replace the scoring areas, as you will see within the rules.
Prisoner
Will you lose your darts to the prison and then lose your darts to another? This is a great game for several people to play, read the rules carefully, as they can be a little complicated.
Scam
One player stops the other from scoring in this game of Scam. The order of play reverses to determine a winner!
Shanghai
A very popular game that will help improve your skill level. Hitting the sing, double and treble of the next nominated number.
Shove Ha'Penny
The traditional ‘Shove Ha’Penny’ game in darts format. Shove Ha’Penny may not be that familiar to some, but once it was a popular pastime game.
Snooker
Like Baseball, you can purchase Snooker-inspired dartboards. However, with a bit of number labelling, you can play an excellent game of Snooker on a dartboard.
Sudden Death
Sudden Death is a variation of ‘Knockout’ with the lowest-scoring player eliminated after each round! Score High!
The Preston Game!
The Preston Game gets its name from the Preston Dartboard (no longer made). My thanks to Barry Riley for providing me with the rules to share with you.
Tennis
My thanks to Richard Cotterill and Keith Black for designing this game for initial inclusion on one of my other dart websites. The rules are quite detailed but worth the effect if you want something new to play.
Game Dartboards
If you are not a 501 or cricket darts enthusiast, then you may like to know dartboards come in a number of designs to play one or two specific games. Popular boards are casino oriented along with games based on other sports, Golf, Snooker to name just two.
If you write articles or dart information websites and like the games, please link to this page.
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