Darts

File:Darts.jpg

The dart board in the Steinway Beer Garden in a pre-release GTA IV screenshot.

File:Darts (GTA4) (aiming).jpg

Aiming during a game of darts in GTA IV.

Darts can be played in Grand Theft Auto IV at the Steinway Beer Garden in Dukes or at Lucky Winkles in Algonquin; these venues serve as both drinking and darts venues. This venue is available on dates, and while socialising with friends. To win, the player must be the first to reach 0 points, as described below, from an original score of 301. The highest amount you can score in a round is 180.

Description

When playing darts for the first time, the game will display information on how to play the game (instructions slightly edited for better explanation):

• Score points by throwing darts within the 20 numbered sections [numbered 1 to 20].
• This is the number shown on the outer rim. [Referring to the numbers near the edge of the dart board, which are base points.]
• Hitting one of the large portions of a [black or white] section scores you single points.
• Hitting within the outer [red and green] band scores you double points for that dart.
• The middle band [the inner red and green band] scores you triple points.
• The bullseye is the circle in the center of the board. The outer ring scores 25, the inner circle scores 50.
• The object of the game is to reduce your score to exactly zero, before your opponent does.
• But remember, the winning dart must hit a double [by targeting an outer band that will cancel out the remaining score]! Not "doubling out" results in your score being reset to the previous score, and your turn ending [also known simply as a "bust"]! [Another unspoken rule is that if the player manages to reduce their score to a prime number, they will evidently be incapable of closing their game with a double, also leading to a "bust".]

During aiming, the player's crosshair will tremble violently, making aiming slightly difficult. By pressing a specific command, the player can momentarily improve accuracy for a second, indicated by a more compact crosshair.

When playing darts, a general rule of thumb is to initially aim for a large reduction of the player's score during the first run, focusing on reducing the score by a maximum of 180 by aiming for the inner band of the "20" section, giving the player a 60 point reduction for each shot. If the player has a score low enough to be canceled out with less than three darts but is odd, the player must attain an odd score from one dart shot, then aim for a double, as double scores are invariably even. Put it simply, basic math must also be applied when playing the game.

Scoring a 180 with three darts is a requisite for the "One Hundred And Eighty" achievement for GTA IV.

Trivia

• The fletching of the darts feature characteristics related to the characters playing darts, including:
  • Niko Bellic: Colors of the flag of Serbia.
  • Roman Bellic: Game art of the unnamed bikini-clad woman from Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, reflecting his love for women.
  • Little Jacob: A marijuana leaf, reflecting his casual use of marijuana.
  • Packie McReary: A caricature of a drunk, pants-less Irish man (similar to that of the Lucky Winkles' logo).
  • Unnamed opponent (if the player don't play with a friend): The flag of Scotland, likely referencing Rockstar North.