Pool: how to play

8-ball pool against the computer on a table that feels real: balls that click and roll, cushions that bounce, pockets that rattle a near miss. Mogi meets a new opponent in each level, from Byte, who misses plenty, to the Glitch Bot, who rarely does.

How to play

• Drag on the table to aim (a mouse aims as it moves). Press on the white ball, pull back for power and let go to shoot. Arrow keys turn the cue (Shift for fine aim); hold Space for power.
• You always break. Then the table is open: the first ball you pot decides your group, solids (1 to 7) or stripes (9 to 15).
• Pot one of yours and you shoot again; miss and it's their turn.
• A foul is a scratch (the white ball drops), hitting the wrong ball first, or hitting nothing. After a foul the other player gets ball in hand and can put the white ball anywhere. To keep it simple you don't call pockets and don't need a cushion after contact.
• Clear your group, then sink the black 8 in any pocket to win the frame and the level. Pot the 8 too early, or foul while potting it, and you lose the frame. If the 8 drops on the break it goes back on its spot.
• A lost frame costs one of your three hearts and a rematch.

The five levels

1. Neon City: vs Byte, who misses often; a full aim line and ghost ball show where both balls go
2. Rooftops: vs Kip; the aim line gets shorter and the ghost ball is gone
3. Sewer: vs Bruno; no aim line, just you and the cue
4. Robot Factory: vs Factory Bot, who plans where the white ball stops
5. Glitch Zone: vs Glitch Bot, who rarely misses and hides the white ball when it has no shot

Clear the Glitch Zone and the five opponents come round again, each one aiming steadier and planning where the white ball stops. You have three hearts for the whole run, and the game is the same for everyone each day, so you can compare scores. Press M to turn the sound off or on.

Tips

• On Level 1, watch the ghost ball: it shows where the white ball must touch.
• Softer is often better. A gentle shot keeps the white ball out of the pockets.
• Before you shoot, think about where the white ball will stop for your next shot.
• With ball in hand, set the white ball close behind an easy pot.

Questions

Can I play 8-ball pool online for free?

Yes. Play free in your browser on phones, tablets and computers, with no download and no sign-up.

Are these the real 8-ball rules?

Close, made a little simpler: open table, solids and stripes, ball in hand after a foul, the 8 last. No called pockets.

Is there an aim line?

On Level 1 a full aim line and ghost ball, on Level 2 a short line, then the cue alone.

Does it work on a phone?

Yes. On an upright phone the table stands on end so the balls are bigger, and buttons under the table help you aim and shoot.