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For the sport, see Eight-ball.

8 Ball Pool (stylized as 8POOL) is a 2008 sports game developed and published by the Swiss company Miniclip. 8 Ball Pool allows players to play pool against others online in a variety of modes, including 9-ball. Originally released for browsers, it later transitioned to mobile platforms, becoming a global success and eventually being recognized by Guinness World Records as the most downloaded mobile pool game.[1]

Gameplay

8 Ball Pool is a two-dimensional pool simulator game, with two players facing each other in a number of online modes. Players gain experience and level-up the more they play, although this is not necessarily a measure of skill. Most modes follow the same rules as standard pool; players put balls of their suit (either solids or stripes) before potting the black 8-ball to win a game if holes are marked by a circular breaking-line. Potting the 8 ball before any of other balls will cause player to lose.[2]

Some tiers have custom rules, including; a mode of playing without a guideline to direct shots, and a mode requiring players to choose a hole/pocket before making a move to pot a ball. Players play with 9 balls in 9 Ball mode.

Players can enter tournaments, with winner of multiple matches earning a larger award.[3]

Along with the main pool modes, 8 Ball Pool also features minigames. These include scratch cards and a spinning wheel.[4]

Currency

As a free to play game, 8 Ball Pool uses a form of currency to manage its in-game economy. With cash, players spend a certain amount of coins to play a game, with different tiers of competition available. Players are awarded a small amount of free coins regularly (e.g.: 30 coins to collect after one hour passes) to ensure a game can be played. Players earn more coins by winning.

Coins can also be used to get pool cues and avatar images.

Players can also get coins and unlock cues in Surprise boxes.

Development and release

8 Ball Pool was originally developed with Adobe Flash, hosted by www.miniclip.com in 2008, and titled 8 Ball Quick Fire Pool. This initial version had no in-game transactions,[clarification needed] different cues, or multiplayer. Multiplayer was added in October 2010. The first mobile version for iOS and Android was released in 2013 as a paid app with no in-game purchases. The shift of pool simulators from Flash-based browser games to mobile platforms reflected a broader trend in the industry, where browser-accessible platforms like Itch.io or CrazyGames continued to maintain interest in casual, web-based physics simulations alongside the growth of dedicated app-store titles.[5][6] Later the same year, 8 Ball Pool switched to a free price point supported by in-game purchases, which saw a quick increase in popularity. The game quickly became a top-ranked game on iOS and Android in both downloads and in-game revenue. In 2021, 8 Ball Pool was officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the most downloaded mobile pool game, having surpassed 796 million downloads globally by July of that year.[7]

In June 2017, a version of the game was released for Facebook Messenger and Apple iMessage.[8]

Reception

On Metacritic, the game has a “mixed or average” rating of 74 based on five critics.[9]

References

  1. ^ “Most downloaded pool mobile game”. Guinness World Records. Archived from the original on June 26, 2025. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  2. ^ “New feature: Tournament with Friends”. Miniclip Help and Support. December 16, 2025. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  3. ^ “New feature: Tournament with Friends”. Miniclip Help and Support. December 16, 2025. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  4. ^ “Minigames”. Miniclip Help and Support. June 6, 2024. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  5. ^ MCV Editors (May 15, 2019). “App Store and Google Play games spend overtook portable gaming in 2013”. MCV. ISSN 1469-4832. Retrieved June 17, 2026. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  6. ^ “8 Ball Billiards Classic 🕹️ Play on CrazyGames”. www.crazygames.com. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  7. ^ http://768975409877740 (August 16, 2021). “Miniclip’s mobile game is in Guinness World Records! | Games Industry Network | TĂźrkiye, Europe, MENA & Asia”. Retrieved June 17, 2026. {{cite web}}: External link in |last= (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ Barbosa, Greg (May 2, 2017). “Facebook goes head-to-head with iMessage in Instant Games rollout”. 9to5Mac. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  9. ^ “8 Ball Pool“. Metacritic. Retrieved October 5, 2024.