Gotcha: The Game That Rewards Betrayal
Your buddy stands one turn from the win when your third dart drops, the chalk gets checked, and somebody yells "Gotcha!" across the room. His 291 just became a zero, and that reset is the whole cruel joy of this game.
Gotcha flips the countdown format on its head: instead of racing down to zero, everyone races up to a target score. Land exactly on an opponent's total along the way and you knock them back to nothing.
The Basic Rules
Players agree on a target — 301 is the classic choice. Everyone starts at zero, and each three-dart turn adds to your running total.
The first player to hit the target exactly wins. Most groups also require the final dart to be a double, mirroring the double-out rule from 501.
The Kill Rule
Here's the hook: if your turn ends with your total exactly equal to any opponent's, you've "killed" them. Their score resets to zero and they start the climb over.
With three or more players, one sharp turn can wipe out two people at once. Nobody's lead is safe until the winning dart lands.
Busting
Score past the target and you bust — your total snaps back to where it stood before the turn. Exact means exact, at the top and on every kill.
Strategy Tips
Play the Scoreboard, Not the Board
Before every turn, read everyone's totals and do the math. If an opponent sits 57 above you, a 57 turn is worth more than a 60 turn.
That mental arithmetic is half the game, and it's the same skill drilled in how to score darts. Fast counters win Gotcha games they had no business winning.
Avoid Round-Number Totals
Totals like 100 or 180 are easy for opponents to hit with standard combinations. Awkward totals — 97, 113, 138 — are much harder to match exactly.
Protect a Lead by Finishing
The closer you get to the target, the bigger the bullseye on your back. Within one turn of the win, take the finish — hesitating just hands the table another chance to reset you.
Common Variations
- No-doubles finish: first to the exact target wins, no double required — friendlier for beginners.
- Higher targets: 501 or 701 Gotcha produces more kills, because scores overlap more often on the longer climb.
- Soft-tip Gotcha: many electronic dartboards carry Gotcha as a preset and flag kills automatically.
- 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
Quick Answers
How many players do you need?
Two works, but Gotcha shines with three to six. More scores on the board means more kill targets every single turn.
Can one turn kill two opponents?
Yes — if your end-of-turn total matches two opponents at once, both go to zero. It's rare, it's brutal, and it's the story everyone retells afterward.
Set the target, count every score out loud, and never trust a lead in Gotcha.