Not league gear. Six dart board game sets for a family room or a party — magnetic, sticky-ball and soft-tip boards that will not mark a wall.
Updated October 2026 · By Stephen V.
The best dart board game for most households is the 18-inch magnetic set with twelve magnetic darts: it is the right size to be satisfying, the darts have no points at all, and it hangs on any wall without a surround. If scoring is the point, the Franklin Sports FS3000 electronic board counts for you and comes in a cabinet; the WIN.MAX electronic board is the step up with forty-plus games; the Theefun rubber safety board is the best compromise between a game and a real dartboard; the FUNGENIX double-sided magnetic board gives you two games for under twenty dollars; and the BooTaa sticky-ball sets are the party option.
A clarification first, because this category and the serious one get confused. If you want a dartboard — sisal bristle, steel-tip darts, 5 feet 8 inches to the bullseye, a wall surround and a league-legal layout — that is our dartboard roundup, and this is not that page. This page is for a dart board game: a set, usually with the darts included, bought so that several people of different ages can play in a normal room without putting holes in the plaster.
Three families of product cover that. Magnetic boards use blunt magnetic darts and a steel-backed face; completely safe, cheapest, and the darts bounce off on an imperfect throw. Sticky-ball boards use velcro balls on a fabric face; the safest of all and the most forgiving for small children. Electronic soft-tip boards use plastic-tipped darts into a segmented plastic face and score automatically, which is where the step up in real play happens.
We have not played these sets. The ranking is built from published board diameter, dart type and count, game modes, scoring features and mounting requirements, plus owner-review consensus reported as other people's experience — see how we pick. Prices come live from Amazon with the date we verified them.
The short answer
In a hurry? These are the picks we'd buy. Prices are live; tap a card below for the full reasoning.
$19.9910% offPrice as of October 13, 2026·#addisclosure
BooTaa 29-in Sticky-Ball Dart Board Game Set (2-pack, 20 balls)
Two 29-inch sticky-ball boards with twenty velcro balls — the biggest target, the safest projectile, and the one that works outdoors.
Diameter
29 in
Pack
2 boards
Projectiles
20 sticky balls
Use
Indoor / outdoor
Pros
29 inches is a big, forgiving target for small children
Sticky balls cannot hurt anybody or mark a wall
Two boards in the pack, so two games at once at a party
Rolls up and goes outside
Cons
Not darts in any meaningful sense
Fabric face collects dust and loses grip over time
Adults will tire of it quickly
Best for: Younger children, or a garden party where everything gets thrown.
Skip this
The budget traps that look cheap and cost you twice. We'd skip these.
A steel-tip bristle dartboard bought as a family game
Steel-tip darts in a shared room are a different proposition: they are genuinely sharp, they go through plasterboard when they miss, and they need a surround and a properly measured throw line. A bristle board is the right buy for someone who wants to play darts seriously — see our dartboard roundup — and the wrong buy for a room with children in it.
Tiny novelty boards under about 13 inches
Below roughly 13 inches the scoring segments get so narrow that throws become luck rather than aim, and the game stops being satisfying within an evening. A regulation board's playing diameter is 17.75 inches; 16 to 18 inches is where a game board should sit, and the difference between a 13-inch board and an 18-inch one is far bigger than the price gap.
How to choose (and what to skip)
Pick the projectile type by the youngest player
Sticky balls for children under about six: nothing to hurt anyone, huge target, works outdoors. Magnetic darts from about six upwards: no point at all, still recognisably darts, and the throw matters. Soft-tip plastic darts for older children and adults: a real point that sticks properly, which is where the game gets good, and the only one that needs supervision.
Size the board to about 16 to 18 inches
A regulation board has a 17.75-inch playing diameter. Game boards at 16 to 18 inches keep the segments wide enough that aim is rewarded, which is what makes a game satisfying rather than random. Sticky-ball boards go bigger (up to 29 inches) because the projectile is larger and less precise. Below 13 inches, skip it.
Automatic scoring changes how often it gets played
Mental arithmetic from 501 downwards is a real barrier for casual players and children, and it is the reason a lot of boards stop getting used. An electronic board does the counting and tracks players, which makes a game something people start on a whim. It is the single feature most worth paying extra for.
Check what it needs on the wall
Magnetic and sticky boards hang from a hook and need no protection around them, which is most of their appeal. Electronic boards are heavier and are better mounted properly or bought with a cabinet. None of these needs the wall surround a steel-tip board does — if you are stepping up to that, our <a href="/guides/how-to-hang-a-dartboard">dartboard mounting guide</a> has the measurements.
Count the darts
Six darts is two players; twelve is three or four without sharing. In a family that matters more than it sounds, because handing darts back and forth is what makes younger players lose interest. Sets with twelve or more included are usually the better buy even where the board is slightly smaller.
Dart board game or a real dartboard?
Decide this first, because the two purchases have almost nothing in common. A real dartboard is sisal, takes steel-tip darts, mounts at a measured 5 feet 8 inches to the bullseye with a throw line 7 feet 9.25 inches away, and wants a wall surround to catch misses. It is for playing darts. A dart board game is a safe, hangable board with the darts in the box, bought so that a mixed group can play in a normal room. If the answer is the former, our dartboard roundup and electronic dartboard page are the right pages.
There is also a middle option worth knowing about: a soft-tip electronic board is a genuine game for adults, scores itself, and is far safer than steel tip. A lot of households that think they want a bristle board are better served by one, and our steel-tip versus electronic comparison covers that choice properly.
Magnetic, sticky or soft tip?
Magnetic is the best all-round family answer: nothing sharp, no wall damage, and the throw still rewards aim. Its weakness is bounce-out — a dart that lands at an angle falls off, which frustrates players who are trying to be precise. Sticky ball is the safest and the least like darts; it is a children's game and an excellent one. Soft tip sticks reliably and plays closest to the real thing, at the cost of a point that needs respecting and, usually, electronics.
Where to hang it
Even for a game board, a bit of thought helps. Hang the bullseye at about chest height for the shortest regular player rather than at regulation height, keep about 7 to 8 feet of clear standing room in front, and avoid a wall shared with a bedroom — the thump of a magnetic board carries. Do not hang any board where a miss would hit a television or a window.
What a dart board game adds to a game room
It is the cheapest game you can add to a room and the one that needs the least floor. A board on a wall and 8 feet of standing space costs nothing in layout terms, which makes it the natural companion to a table that already dominates the room — a pool table or a shuffleboard table. In a room that is tight for anything else, it is often the first game that goes in.
Looking after a game board
Magnetic faces wrinkle if stored rolled or folded, so hang them or store them flat. Sticky-ball faces lose grip as they collect dust; a light brush restores most of it. Electronic boards' segment holes widen with heavy play and soft tips snap, so keep a packet of spare tips — they cost almost nothing and a board with broken tips stops being used. None of these needs the wax, rotation or careful humidity a sisal board does, which is part of the appeal.
Buying one as a gift
If you are buying for somebody else and do not know how seriously they play, the 18-inch magnetic set is the safe choice: it suits a wide age range, needs no wall protection, needs nothing else bought alongside it, and nobody has to find a stud or measure a throw line. The thing not to buy as a surprise gift is a steel-tip bristle board, because it commits the recipient to a wall, a surround and a measured setup they may not want.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best dart board game for a family?+
An 18-inch magnetic board with twelve magnetic darts. The size keeps the scoring segments wide enough that aim is rewarded, the darts have no points at all so nothing can be damaged or injured, and twelve darts means three or four people can play without passing them back and forth.
Are magnetic dart boards any good?+
For family play, yes — they are safe, they need no wall protector and the throw still matters. Their one real weakness is bounce-out: a dart that lands at an angle falls off the face, which frustrates anyone trying to be precise. For adults who want darts to stick, a soft-tip electronic board is the better buy.
What is the difference between a dart board game and a real dartboard?+
A real dartboard is sisal with steel-tip darts, mounted at a measured 5 ft 8 in to the bullseye with a surround to catch misses, and it is for playing darts properly. A dart board game is a safe hangable board with the darts included, sized for mixed-age play and designed not to mark a wall. They are different purchases with almost nothing in common.
What size should a dart board game be?+
16 to 18 inches across for a magnetic or soft-tip board, which keeps segments close to a regulation board's 17.75-inch playing diameter. Sticky-ball boards can be much larger because the projectile is bigger and less accurate. Avoid anything under about 13 inches, where throws become luck rather than aim.
Are soft-tip darts safe for children?+
Safer than steel tip, but they do have a point that sticks into a board, so they need supervision with small children. For under-sixes, sticky-ball boards are the right answer; from about six upwards, magnetic darts give a real game with nothing sharp at all; soft tip suits older children and adults.
Do dart board games need a wall protector?+
Magnetic and sticky-ball boards do not — that is most of their appeal, since nothing sharp ever leaves the board's face. Electronic soft-tip boards are usually fine too, although a cabinet model tidies the installation. Only steel-tip bristle boards genuinely need a surround, because a missed steel dart goes into the plaster.
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