Count-Up: The Perfect Warm-Up (Don't Skip It)
Your first dart of the night thuds in a full inch under the 20, stiff as a plank. Cold arms don't fix themselves — Count-Up is the five-minute game built to warm them up.
Count-Up is the simplest scoring game in darts: throw eight rounds, add up everything you hit, highest total wins. No subtraction, no required doubles, no strategy tax — just you, the board, and a number that only goes up.
What Count-Up Is
Count-Up (sometimes labeled "cricket count-up" on machines, though that's a different game) is a fixed-length scoring game. Each player throws 8 rounds of 3 darts, and every dart scores its face value with doubles and triples counting as usual.
After 24 darts, compare totals — highest score takes the game. That's the whole rulebook.
How to Play, Step by Step
- Decide the order of play — a throw at the bullseye, closest goes first, works fine.
- Each player throws 3 darts per turn and adds every scoring dart to their running total.
- Darts that miss the board or bounce out score zero, same as any other game.
- Play exactly 8 rounds per player, then compare totals.
Most electronic dartboards have Count-Up built in and handle the adding for you. On a bristle board, a chalkboard and basic addition do the job — our guide on how to score darts covers keeping a clean tally.
- Concave holes and an ultra-thin spider lock darts in to reduce bounce-outs
- Automatic LCD scoring for up to 8 players keeps the game moving
- 43 games with 320+ variations and a handicap mode let mixed skill levels compete fairly
A Round in Action
Round three, and you're sitting on 129. Single 20, treble 20, stray single 5 — that's 85 more, and the board reads 214.
There's no decision to make except where to aim next. That simplicity is the entire point.
Why It's the Perfect Warm-Up
Count-Up strips away everything except throwing at a target. No checkout math, no pressure to hit a specific double — your brain gets to focus entirely on mechanics.
You get 24 identical, low-stakes reps: enough to loosen your shoulder, find your release point, and settle your rhythm before the real game starts. That's why it anchors so many players' warm-up routines.
It also gives you a clean personal benchmark. Every game is exactly 24 darts, so your total compares directly from session to session.
What Counts as a Good Score?
A useful rough ladder for 8 rounds:
- Under 300: beginner territory — aim at the 20 and take what comes.
- 300–450: solid recreational player hitting the 20 segment regularly.
- 450–600: strong player landing triples with some consistency.
- 600+: you're stacking triple 20s and probably don't need this article.
Don't obsess over one bad game. Track your average across five or ten games — that's the number that actually shows improvement.
Ways to Make It Harder
Once plain Count-Up feels easy, tighten the target:
- Doubles-only or triples-only rounds: only the ring scores.
- Rotating targets: round 1 counts only 20s, round 2 only 19s, and so on down the board.
- Handicap play: stronger players spot weaker ones 100 points so everyone's invested.
- Target score: set a bar like 400 and treat beating it as the win when practicing alone.
These variations turn a warm-up into genuine target practice without changing the core rules. For a target-score game with teeth, Gotcha darts races everyone up to an agreed number and resets any opponent whose total you land on exactly.
Common Mistakes
The big one is spraying darts at the whole board instead of picking a target. Count-Up rewards aiming every dart at the highest-value spot you can hit reliably — usually the 20s, or the 19s when your 20s are cold.
The second is rushing. Treat all 24 darts like they matter, because a lazy warm-up grooves a lazy throw.
Is Count-Up Good for Solo Practice?
It's one of the best solo practice games there is. Fixed length, instant scoring feedback, and a comparable number at the end of every game.
How Long Does a Game Take?
Around five minutes per player. That's exactly why it works as a pre-match warm-up.
Can You Play It on a Soft-Tip Board?
Yes — it's a standard preset on nearly every electronic machine. The board does the scoring for you.
Next time your first darts feel cold, throw one game of Count-Up before anything that counts.