How to Play Squishy Billiards: Aim, Merge Balls, and Save Progress

Updated

Squishy Billiards is a free daily pool puzzle that runs in your browser on desktop or mobile, with no install required. You play by dragging the cue ball to aim and releasing to shoot, then sinking all the solid balls in as few shots as possible. Balls are squishy blobs that merge when they touch, and hitting checkpoints saves your progress within a level. A new rack appears each day, and every past rack stays playable in the level archive.

The basic shot: drag, aim, release

The whole control scheme is one gesture:

  1. Drag the ball to set your aim. The direction and strength of your drag define the shot.
  2. Release to shoot.
  3. Watch the table — balls are soft and deform on contact, so a shot that looks clean can still nudge a neighboring blob out of line.

There is no separate power meter or spin control described on the site. Treat the drag itself as your only input and plan each shot around where the cue ball will end up, not just where it starts.

The actual goal: fewest shots, not just a cleared table

The win condition is sinking all the solid balls, and your score is measured in shots taken. That changes how you should approach a rack:

  • A safe shot that leaves you a clean follow-up usually beats a hero shot that clears one ball and strands the cue.
  • Because the balls merge, the table changes shape as you play. Re-read the layout after every shot instead of committing to a plan made on shot one.
  • Checkpoints exist so a long rack doesn't have to be finished in one sitting — see below.

Merging balls is the core mechanic

Balls of similar colors combine when they touch. This is the twist that separates the game from standard pool, and it's the main lever for lowering your shot count.

The logic to exploit: two small same-colored blobs that would each need their own shot can become one larger target that you sink in a single shot. Look for clusters of matching colors before you start firing at individual balls — a shot that merges two blobs and lines up the next one is worth more than a direct pot.

A practical example: if two same-colored balls sit near a pocket but at awkward angles to each other, aim to roll one into the other first. The merged blob is now a bigger, easier target for the pocket on your next shot, and you've spent one shot to set up a one-shot finish instead of two separate attempts.

Checkpoints: how progress is saved

Hitting a checkpoint saves your progress within the current level. If you're mid-rack and need to stop, reaching a checkpoint means you don't lose the ground you've covered. Plan your route so you pass through checkpoints rather than treating them as optional — on a rack that takes many shots, an unsaved run is the most common way to lose work.

Daily racks, the archive, and sharing

  • One new level per day. The site labels each rack with a number and date (for example, "No. 113").
  • Missed a day? Every past rack remains playable in the level archive, and each one shows that day's scores so you can measure yourself against them.
  • Sharing and competition. The game is built around comparing scores with friends — clear the table in as few shots as you can, then share your result and challenge others.
  • Challenge Mode is listed as coming soon, and a Custom Map Editor is in alpha, with community maps accessible through the game's Discord.

Common snags and how to handle them

The table looks different from a normal pool table. That's expected — the blobs merge and deform. Don't fight it; use it.

You ran out of shots on a promising run. Check whether you were chasing individual pots instead of setting up merges. The shot count is the score, so setup shots that create a bigger target are often the efficient play.

You lost progress partway through. You likely hadn't reached a checkpoint. Route through checkpoints early on longer racks.

Ads interrupt play. The site acknowledges ads support the game and asks players to consider whitelisting it with an ad blocker. That's the stated trade-off for keeping it free.

You want to play a specific past level. Use the level archive rather than waiting for it to cycle back.

What you need to start

Nothing beyond a browser. The game is described as 100% free and family-friendly, playable on desktop or mobile without installation. Open the site, take today's rack, and use the in-game "How to Play" prompt — drag and shoot, sink the solids, combine similar colors — if you want the rules restated on the table itself.