Pro Darts 2014 by iWare Designs Ltd., recommended app for people living with dementia

Pro Darts 2014 by iWare Designs Ltd., recommended app for people living with dementia

Review

This app presents the traditional game of darts with lots of customisation options to allow players to tailor the game to their ability and preference. The control method is simple and intuitive, requiring the player to swipe their finger in a flick motion whilst aiming around the dart board. The game can be played independently for fun, or competitively against the computer or another human. If playing against the computer, the difficulty level can be set to one of five different options. Up to five player profiles can be created and saved so that individual preferences can be quickly accessed when playing. There are a variety of game modes available with the basic version of the app and additional modes available as In-App Purchases (but these will be unnecessary for all but the most avid darts enthusiasts). 

The basic version of the app includes adverts that are present on screen during gameplay and whilst they take up minimal space, their presence at the bottom of the screen means that they could be easily touched unintentionally which would disrupt the game. At the end of each game, a full-screen advert is also displayed. For this reason, our recommendation is to purchase the No Advertising feature within the app from the Shop menu. 

Tip: In-App Purchases do require a password before completion, but they can be completely restricted on your device, if preferred. For information on how to do this for the Apple iPad, read our step-by-step guide.


Recommended settings

From the app's launch screen, access the Settings menu by tapping the icon in the bottom right corner. These are our recommended settings:

  • Background Music Volume (user preference)

  • Sound Effects Volume (user preference)

  • Sound Effects (Menus & Darts) - crowd noises can be negative if player misses

  • Language (English, French, German, Spanish, Italian)

  • Opponent Names (can all be customised)

To edit a player profile, follow these instructions:

  • From the app's launch screen, tap Practice Game

  • Tap Edit next to one of the four player profiles

  • Tap the box under Enter your name and input using the on-screen keyboard

  • If required, you can customise the appearance of your darts and save up to five configurations

  • Keep throwing sensitivity at Default (or user preference)

  • Tap the arrows to change automatic player assist to High

  • Tap the arrow to change obtain game achievements to No

To play a single-player game for fun, follow these instructions:

  • From the app's launch screen, tap Practice Game

  • Tap the player profile you would like to use (ensure it is highlighted yellow) and then Continue

  • Keep game type highlighted as Standard Darts for a traditional game (or change to other mode, if preferred) then tap Continue

  • Keep board style and colour as default selection (or user preference)

  • Select game type: 301 Darts (or increase for a longer game)

  • Start leg with a double: No

  • Tap Play to begin

To play a competitive game against a computer opponent, follow these instructions:

  • From the app's launch screen, tap Quick Play Game

  • Tap the player profile you would like to use (ensure it is highlighted yellow) and then Continue

  • Keep game type highlighted as Standard Darts for a traditional game (or change to other mode, if preferred) then tap Continue

  • Number of sets: 1 (or increase for a longer game)

  • Number of legs: 1 (or increase for a longer game)

  • Opponents difficulty: Rookie (or change for greater challenge)

  • Keep board style and colour as default selection (or user preference)

  • Select game type: 301 Darts (or increase for a longer game)

  • Start leg with a double: No

  • Tap Play to begin

To play a competitive game against another human, follow these instructions:

  • From the app's launch screen, tap Multiplayer

  • Choose between Pass & Play (one device), Online Game (two devices, anywhere) or Network Game (two devices, same network)

  • Tap the player profile/s you would like to use (ensure they are highlighted yellow) and then Continue

  • Keep game type highlighted as Standard Darts for a traditional game (or change to other mode, if preferred) then tap Continue

  • Number of sets: 1 (or increase for a longer game)

  • Number of legs: 1 (or increase for a longer game)

  • Keep board style and colour as default selection (or user preference)

  • Select game type: 301 Darts (or increase for a longer game)

  • Start leg with a double: No

  • Tap Play to begin