Darts App Review: Skip the Bar and Throw Darts on Your iPhone

The last time you may have seen a dart board was in the middle of a close out bender at your local dive bar. Thankfully Apple has provided an avenue to relive those experiences without the risk of impaling blindness. Darts, which is currently the most popular free game available on iTunes, gives us championship darts with a cigarette stained board.

The setup if fairly simple with two gaming options being available. X01 is a game where you have to hit exactly 0 where the numerical value of each shot is subtracted from a set total. If you go under 0 then you have to keep shooting till you get to exactly zero. The other is Cricket, which forces you to hit every number between fifteen and twenty and bull’s-eye at least three times. Unfortunately they developer of this game decided to only include the most awkwardly complicated incarnations of darts, but they are official games.

The interface is fairly smooth, as are the graphics. You guide a sight over to the location you intend to hit on the dart board. Then you slide your finger along the touch surface in the direction of your goal and hopefully your balance and force work in your favor. Your artificial opponent alternates with you, and his shot range is inline with the difficult setting you apply.

This is a fun game in the same way that many of the simpler “real world” gaming simulations are. The main problems tend to be minor ones that pop up now and again. The sight is hardly accurate, and neither are you when you are shooting. The reality is that the input is fairly inconsistent during play, but it works well enough to continue. The actual game choice options are not the best, but if you just want to shoot some darts without arbitrary rules then you can select the practice mode. It is nice to see that you are correctly informed of where you are aiming with the sight, even if it is about as accurate as throwing free throws over your shoulder.

This is a free application, and one of the better ones. If you have a surplus of space on your iPhone you should check it out. Six and a half out of ten stars.