Eight-ball and nine-ball rules, spin and tactics in Break Royale

Taking a shot

Drag on the table to turn the cue, or tap or click the spot you want to aim at.
Grab the cue and pull it back to set the power, then let go. You can also pull the power bar down instead.
On a keyboard: ← → to aim, hold Space to set power and release to shoot, C to switch camera, R to replay the last shot.

The aiming guide previews the cue ball’s path. Use it to plan where the cue ball goes after contact, not just where the object ball goes.

Spin

Tap the cue-ball control beside the table to choose where the tip strikes the ball:

Low for draw: the cue ball comes back towards you after contact.
High for follow: the cue ball rolls on after the object ball.
Left or right for side spin, which changes the angle off a cushion.

Double-tap the control to return to centre ball.

Eight-ball rules

The table is open after the break: pot any ball except the 8. Your first legal pot claims your group, solids (1–7) or stripes (9–15).
Hit a ball from your own group first on every shot. After contact, a ball must be potted or a ball must reach a cushion.
Once your group is cleared, call a pocket for the 8 and sink it there to win. Sinking it early, in the wrong pocket, or on a foul loses the rack. An 8 potted on the break is put back on its spot.
After a foul, your opponent receives ball in hand.

Nine-ball rules

Always hit the lowest-numbered ball on the table first.
Pot the 9 on any legal shot to win, even early in the rack.
After a foul, your opponent gets ball in hand anywhere on the table.
On the first shot after the break, the player at the table may choose to play a push out.
Three consecutive fouls lose the rack.

Tactics that win racks

Think one ball ahead. Before shooting, decide where the cue ball should stop for the next shot, and choose spin and power for that.
In eight-ball, choose the easier group. If the table is open, prefer the group with fewer balls stuck in clusters or on cushions.
Break up clusters early, while you still have other shots to fall back on.
Use ball in hand fully. Place the cue ball for an easy pot with a natural angle to the next ball, not just a straight-in shot.
Play safe when there is no good shot. Leaving your opponent hidden behind a ball is often better than a low-percentage pot.
In nine-ball, look for combinations into the 9: a legal hit on the lowest ball that sends the 9 in wins at once.

Ways to play

Quick Match against Rosa (Club), Ivo (Pro) or Kaz (Master); eight-player knockout tournaments for the Club Cup, the Royale Open and the Grand Royale; online games with a friend by table code; ranked games (a race to three racks) once your account is saved; two players on one device; and free practice with no clock.

Questions

What is a push out?

Under standard nine-ball rules, on the shot right after the break the player may push out: move the cue ball to a better spot without having to hit the lowest ball first. The opponent then chooses whether to shoot from there or hand the shot back.

Can I save a game and finish later?

Yes. Quick matches, tournaments, two-player and practice games can be saved from the pause menu. Online games cannot, because your opponent is live.

Updated 2 November 2026. Written by JPAM Studio, the makers of Break Royale.

Break Royale guide