Pool Buddy 4

Unlike action titles, a puzzle game asks almost nothing of your hands and everything of your attention. The board sits still until you move. You can take thirty seconds or ten minutes on a single decision, and the game does not care. Progress comes from noticing things: a tile that only fits one slot, a color that appears twice, a rule you misread. Each solved stage feels earned.

• Mouse or tap to play

1. 1Scan the whole board once before your first move so you know what pieces, colors or shapes you are working with.
2. 2Select a piece with a click or tap, and look for highlighted spaces that show where it can legally go.
3. 3Work from the edges or corners inward where possible, since those positions have the fewest options.
4. 4If a stage has a move counter or timer, plan two moves ahead rather than reacting one at a time.

• Free to play, nothing to install, no account needed
• Loads in the browser tab and opens full screen when you press Play
• Designed for a phone held upright
• Touch controls on phones and tablets, mouse and keyboard on a computer
• Listed under Puzzles

Pool Buddy 4 is low commitment. There is no account, nothing to download, and no tutorial to sit through. You open the tab, think for a while, close it. The satisfaction is in the small click of a solution falling into place, and that holds up on a phone as well as a desktop.

Anyone who prefers thinking over twitch reflexes. It works for teenagers and adults alike, and for older players who want something unhurried. Kids who can follow a simple rule will manage the first stages.

Can I play Pool Buddy 4 offline?

Not reliably. The game loads from the web each time you open it, so you need a connection to start. Once running, a brief dropout may not matter, but do not count on it.

Is there a way to skip a stage I cannot solve?

That depends on the game. Some offer a skip or hint button, others expect you to solve each stage in order. Try the menu inside the player to see what is available.

Does it work with a mouse or do I need a touchscreen?

Either. On a desktop you click and drag with the mouse, and on a phone or tablet you tap and swipe. A keyboard is rarely needed for puzzles.