Beer Darts: The Backyard Game of Legends
Halfway through a backyard barbecue, a dart thunks into the can by your friend's feet and foam starts hissing out of the hole. The whole yard yells the only rule everyone remembers: "Drink to the hole!"
That's beer darts — an outdoor party game where skill, luck, and cheap aluminum collide. Here's how to set it up, the rules most groups use, and how to keep it safe.
What Is Beer Darts?
Beer darts is a casual outdoor game where players sit facing each other and throw darts at the beer can by their opponent's feet. Pierce the can and its owner has to drink.
The drinking is the penalty, not the goal. Once your can is empty, you're out, and the last player with beer remaining wins.
Rules shift depending on the backyard and the crowd. The version below is the common core most groups build from.
What You Need
Steel-tip darts are the standard, usually around 6 inches long — their sharp points punch through aluminum cleanly. Any standard beer can works as a target.
- 15 darts in one jar means plenty of spares for group play
- Anodized aluminum shafts with locking holes stay tighter than plastic rods
- Comes with extra flights, rubber O-rings, and a sharpener to keep points game-ready
Some players swear by full cans because they don't tip over as easily when hit. That's preference, not law.
Each player also needs a seat — a lawn chair or cooler works — and closed shoes. Sunglasses are a smart add for eye protection, and most groups treat both as required gear.
Setting Up
Players sit opposite each other, roughly 10 to 15 feet apart, with a can standing at each person's feet. That spacing keeps stray darts from becoming a problem.
To pick who throws first, flip a coin. Some groups prefer a throw-off instead: everyone takes one shot at a can, and the closest dart earns the first turn.
The Rules
- Throw one dart per turn, then play passes to the next thrower.
- If your dart pierces an opponent's can, they drink from it down to the hole the dart made.
- If you miss, nothing happens — it's simply the next player's turn.
- When your can is empty, you're eliminated; the last player with beer left wins.
There's no formal scoring system. The can itself is the scoreboard.
A Sample Round
You throw and nick the top of your buddy's can, leaving a hole near the rim. He drinks down to it — barely a sip — and stands the can back up.
His return throw catches your can dead center. That's half a can gone in one drink, and suddenly you're the one everybody's aiming at.
Playing with a Group
Beer darts works one-on-one or in teams. Just make sure everyone gets a turn to throw and that it stays clear whose can has taken hits.
Bigger circles work fine as long as the spacing holds. If you like this style of game, our roundup of darts games for groups has plenty more options for a crowd.
Keep It Safe
You're throwing sharp steel toward seated friends, so the safety habits matter more than the rules. Keep the full 10 to 15 feet of spacing, wear shoes, and never throw while someone's reaching for their can.
Sunglasses protect against the rare bad bounce. The basics in our darts safety guide apply double once beer is involved.
Pace the drinking and keep things chill — it's a party game, not a competition worth an injury. If you want an outdoor darts fix with less sharp metal in flight, lawn darts scratches a similar itch.
Chill a few sacrificial cans before the next cookout, and let the throw-off decide who's up first.