Install Game Shot Darts on Windows

For Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit). No administrator rights needed; Python and Node.js are not required.

Other systems: Linux · macOS · Deutsch: Windows

1. Install

  1. Download gameshotdarts-<version>-windows-x64-setup.exe from the download page.
  2. Run it. The installer is not signed with a code-signing certificate, so Windows SmartScreen shows "Windows protected your PC": click More info → Run anyway.
  3. Choose the options:
  4. Create a desktop shortcut (on by default)
  5. Start Game Shot Darts when I sign in to Windows (off by default)

The installer sets up:

What Where
Program %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\gameshotdarts
Shortcuts Start menu (Game Shot Darts, Game Shot Darts settings), desktop
Settings and data (created on the first start) %LOCALAPPDATA%\gameshotdarts (config.toml, data\)

Without installing: the gameshotdarts-<version>-windows-x64.zip contains the same program. Extract it anywhere and double-click gameshotdarts\gameshotdarts.exe, or create a shortcut to gameshotdarts.exe launch yourself.

2. Start

Click Game Shot Darts on the desktop or in the Start menu. Game Shot Darts opens in its own window (Microsoft Edge WebView2, part of Windows 10/11); the server runs in the background as long as the window is open. Close the window to stop Game Shot Darts. The log is written to %LOCALAPPDATA%\gameshotdarts\gameshotdarts.log. If the window cannot be shown, Game Shot Darts falls back to a console window and the browser.

On the first start, Windows Defender Firewall asks whether Game Shot Darts may communicate on networks: allow Private networks, so phones and tablets on the home network can connect.

Phones, tablets and TVs open http://<address of this PC>:8000; the home screen of the app shows the address and a QR code.

3. Set up the cameras

In the app: Settings → Cameras → Set up cameras. Search for cameras lists the connected ones; add the three dart cameras, choose where each one is mounted (top, bottom right, bottom left) and click Save and restart. Game Shot Darts writes them to config.toml and restarts on its own; then calibrate the board on the same page.

The same by hand, or for options the app doesn't show (resolution, camera controls):

Open Command Prompt or PowerShell and run:

& "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Programs\gameshotdarts\gameshotdarts.exe" devices

(In Command Prompt: "%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\gameshotdarts\gameshotdarts.exe" devices.)

It lists the connected cameras by number (0, 1, 2, …); a built-in laptop camera is usually 0. Open the settings with Start menu → Game Shot Darts settings → config.toml (Notepad is fine; the file exists after the first start). Remove the # in front of the three [[cameras]] blocks and enter the numbers of the dart cameras as device. Then close the Game Shot Darts window, start Game Shot Darts again and calibrate the board on the Cameras page of the UI.

Notes for Windows:

The comments in config.toml explain the options (resolution, exposure, detection).

Update

Download and run the new setup .exe; it replaces the program and keeps settings and data. Close Game Shot Darts first.

Uninstall

Settings → Apps → Installed apps → Game Shot Darts → Uninstall. Settings and data stay in %LOCALAPPDATA%\gameshotdarts; delete that folder too to remove everything.

Troubleshooting

Problem Fix
Console window says the port is in use Another program uses port 8000: set another port under [server] in config.toml.
No camera image Camera permission for desktop apps (see above), or another program (Teams, Zoom, Autodarts) is using the camera.
Phones can't connect The firewall question was answered with "Cancel": Windows Security → Firewall & network protection → Allow an app through firewall → enable gameshotdarts for Private. Check that the Wi-Fi network is set to Private.