Setup
Players
- 1+ players
Materials
- A dartboard and darts
Scoring
- This game of darts doesn’t count scoring in the traditional sense but determines the winner by going in order from 1-20, hitting each number, and bullseye as the final one.
- If players hit doubles, they are still counted as the single number. For example, hitting doubles in eight is still just eight.
Objective
The objective of Around the Clock (also called Around the World) is to be the first person to hit each number on the board, in an ascending order from 1-20, finally hitting the bullseye to win the game.
Gameplay
Around the Clock is a straightforward game of darts that, instead of counting scores, relies on hitting all the numbers from 1-20 followed by the bullseye in correct order.
Set the dartboard exactly seven feet, 9.25 inches (237 centimeters) from the spot players will throw the darts from. To determine who goes first, all players will take turns to throw a single dart, aiming at bullseye. The player who manages to throw their dart closest to the bullseye gets to go first.
Players will take turns to play, aiming at the numbers 1-20 in ascending order. Each turn consists of the standard three attempts. If a player gets the number they are aiming for and still have darts left in that turn, they get to attempt the next number up.
Players keep taking turns until a player manages to get to the end of the game, hitting bullseye. If there’s a tie and two players are in the final bullseye stage, they will enter the tiebreaker phase where each takes turns throwing the dart just once. The first player to hit the bullseye wins the game.
Endgame
In Around the Clock, the game ends once a player has successfully managed to hit numbers 1-20 and the bullseye in ascending order.
Around the Clock Tips & Strategy
Around the Clock is all about skills, the best way to win the game is to practice precision and aim on the dartboard.
Around the Clock Variations and Alternate Rules
- Make it challenging: Only doubles or triples count as hitting the number, allowing the player to move up to the next number.
- Alternatively, you can also have each player throw the single number, double, and then triple to be able to move on to the next.
- Alternate hands: players throw even numbers with the dominant hand and the odd ones with the other one.
- Limit the number of darts that each player has in total for each game, for example, a total of 50 throws.
Example/ Demonstration
- There are two players getting ready to play.
- The players determine who goes first by throwing a single round with the objective of hitting the highest number possible (i.e. the bullseye).
- Player two hits 20 and gets to go first.
- Both players take turns, throwing darts three times in each turn, moving along “the clock” or the numbers in ascending order.
- Player one is the first to get to the final stage, but misses the bullseye in their three tries.
- Player two catches up, so they enter the tiebreaker phase.
- Player one manages to throw a bullseye during their turn, and consequently wins the game.
