Killer Rules - How to Play

Killer is an elimination game for 2 to 20 players. Everyone owns one number on the board. Hit your own number to become a killer, then hit your opponents’ numbers to take their lives.

The last player with a life left wins.

Set up the game

Start everyone with the same number of lives, normally three. Then give each player a different number from 1 to 20.

DartsOn confirms the throw order before number assignment. Players claim their numbers in that order.

DartsOn’s default method is “Throw for it.” Each player throws one dart with their non-dominant hand and claims the number they hit. A miss, the bull, or a number that belongs to someone else means another throw.

The multiplier does not matter while claiming numbers. S18, D18, and T18 all claim 18. You can also pick numbers yourself or let DartsOn assign them at random.

How to play

1. Throw three darts on your turn.
2. Until you are a killer, aim at your own number. Under the default rules, one hit on its double is enough.
3. Once you are a killer, hit an opponent’s number to take a life.
4. A player with no lives is out. Skip them for the rest of the game.
5. Stop as soon as only one player is left.

That qualification step matters. A player who is not a killer cannot take lives, so early hits on an opponent’s number do nothing.

Which segments count

The same segment setting applies when you qualify and when you attack.

Setting	What counts	Effect of one dart
Doubles	The double ring	1 qualifying hit or 1 life
Trebles	The treble ring	1 qualifying hit or 1 life
Any segment	Singles, doubles, and trebles	A single counts as 1, a double as 2, and a treble as 3

“Any segment” has one easy-to-miss edge case. DartsOn counts a double or treble one unit at a time. Say you need two hits to become a killer and land T20 on your own number. The first two units make you a killer. The third is now a self-hit, so the chosen self-hit penalty applies straight away.

Rule options in DartsOn

Setting	Choices	Default
Lives	1 to 9 per player	3
Number assignment	Throw for it, random, or pick your own	Throw for it
Target segment	Doubles, trebles, or any segment	Doubles
Hits to become Killer	1 to 3 qualifying hits	1
Start as Killer	Attack from the first dart or qualify first	Off
Self-hit penalty	Lose a life, lose killer status, lose both, or no penalty	Lose a life

If a self-hit costs you killer status, your qualification progress returns to zero. You must earn the status again before you can attack.

Rules that are easy to miss

• The bull cannot belong to a player and has no effect during the game.
• An eliminated player’s number stays claimed, but hitting it does nothing.
• Killer has no busts. A dart either changes the game or does nothing.
• You can eliminate yourself. If only two players remain and a self-hit takes your last life, your opponent wins.
• A Killer match is one continuous game. There are no legs or sets.

Blind Killer and team play

Blind Killer keeps player numbers hidden, and some house rules add jokers. Other groups play in teams. DartsOn does not support hidden numbers, jokers, or team play yet.

A little strategy

Get qualified quickly, but take a moment to learn where the other numbers sit. Once you are a killer, your own number becomes dangerous too. Under the default penalty, hitting it costs a life.

With “Any segment,” doubles and trebles can wipe out several lives in one dart. A player who is nearly out may be the obvious target, but do not give the strongest opponent a free run at the board.