Cue Club Demo

There are countless pool simulators out there, each one of which tries its best to emulate the sport as close to reality as possible. However, even if it seems easy when you think about it, given the fact that all you have to do is simulate a couple of balls interacting with each other, physics engines are not as simple to develop, especially if you are aiming for realism.

Cue Club is a very convincing pool simulator that comes with the option to switch between a variety of popular variations on the theme. Hence, you can enjoy snooker, 8-ball, 9-ball and a couple of other related games, each one of which is designed to come as close as possible to the real thing. Naturally, there are a few hiccups here and there, but nothing too serious, which means that you can really improve your skills by practicing with the game.

Besides all the different pool variations, a few interesting game modes are included as well. Thus, you can challenge the AI to a match or two if you feel like it, but you also have the option to just practice by yourself. Not only that, but online matches are a possibility as well, complete with chat rooms to meet new people and engage them in fierce pool competitions. Speaking of which, tournaments are included in the package as well.

In order to please the hardcore fans of the sport, the physics engine must rise to certain standards. While most simulators tend to be content with the minimum amount of realism, Cue Club tries its best to be one class above everything else. Hence, the experience comes pretty close to a real match of snooker or pool, which means that you may need to be somewhat familiar with the sport before you are able to play it properly.

In very much the same way, the graphics engine is more than decent as well. A wide array of special effects work together to create realistic reflections, while the table itself looks smooth too. On the other hand, there’s no way to move the camera around, so you are stuck with the default top-down perspective. It shouldn’t be a problem when it comes to gameplay, but it’s not very realistic.

All things being equal, Cue Club is one class above most pool simulators, thanks to the accurate physics engine and the nice graphics. It comes with an online component as well, which allows you to always have an opponent to play against.