Up for some 8-ball? In Pool Masters, pick your cue and choose a room for one-on-one online matches – the higher the entry stakes, the richer the prize. Realistic ball physics let you nail wicked trick shots, and you can cheer (or jeer) opponents with chat emoji as you climb the global leaderboards. Time to run the table!

What we love: Collecting and upgrading exotic cue sticks. Each has its own stats – such as power, accuracy and spin – that you can boost for a tactical advantage. Some rare cues even have cool special effects: sink a ball with the Black Widow, for instance, and spiders will come rushing out of the pocket.

Quick tip: Tap the cue ball in the lower right to adjust your spin. Backspin is great for avoiding scratches and setting up your next shot, while topspin can help you escape a cluster of balls – or simply give your shot some added oomph.

Meet the creator: Eyeball Games co-founders Karsten Niemeier and Thomas Elgaard know a thing or two about virtual billiards – they’re the makers of the long-running web browser game 8 Ball Pool. Friends since the late ’90s, they reconnected in 2022 to design a next-generation successor to their original creation.