$2.09 (−70%)Pool Nation Real physics, real competition
Sink balls with true-to-life spin and curve, take on eleven game modes, then design and share trickshot courses of your own.
Is Pool Nation worth it?
Pool Nation is worth it if…
- you want a pool game that is relaxing to play solo and competitive with friends
- you like physics that reward practice, from simple cuts to jump and swerve shots
- you enjoy building and sharing absurd trickshot courses with ramps and loop the loops
- you want a low-pressure game to unwind with after a long day
Screenshots
Physics that behave like the real thing
The heart of Pool Nation is its physics engine: balls roll, spin and rebound the way they would on a real table. New to pool? Turn aiming assist on and learn at your own pace. Confident? Switch it off and trust your eye. The controls are forgiving enough that you will pull off shots you would never dare at a real table, and when something spectacular happens, you can watch it back in super slow motion.
Eleven ways to play, online and off
Beyond 8-ball and 9-ball there is Rotation, Golf, Killer, Straight and Speed Pool, plus Endurance, a mode built to test how long you can keep your nerve. The career modes send you through a long single-player campaign against AI opponents across a dozen locations, from sunlit halls to neon-lit nights, and winning unlocks new cues, ball sets and table decals as you go. Online you get seven modes, from friendly matches to tournaments and King of the Hill events. One honest note: the online population is thin these days, so bring your own friends for matches. Solo, though, there is more to play here than most pool games ever offer.
What is the Box of Tricks?
Can you customize the look of the game?
Yes, quite a lot. You unlock and choose from many cues, ball sets and table decals, and you can change the time of day in the game's locations, from daylight to sunset to neon-lit night. The tables themselves are detailed down to deforming cushions and chalk dust bursting off the cue tip, so a customized hall can look exactly how you want your ideal pool room to look.
Is it good for beginners?
It is friendlier than most pool sims. There is a full in-game tutorial covering every shot type, and aiming assist is optional, so you can learn with help and turn it off once the angles start making sense. The controls make difficult shots easier to execute than they would be in real life, which means you get to feel like a pool shark long before you technically are one.
