Minesweeper
Minesweeper: quick guide and game info
Minesweeper is a classic logic puzzle where your goal is simple: clear the board without clicking on a mine. Every number you uncover tells you how many mines are hidden in the eight squares surrounding it. Use those clues to work out which squares are safe and which ones should be flagged.
Our version of Minesweeper has three difficulty levels:
Beginner: 9×9 board with 10 mines
Intermediate: 16×16 board with 40 mines
Expert: 16×20 board with 60 mines
We decided not to have bigger boards to make it more accessible for tablet and mobile users.
Your first move is always safe, so you won’t lose the game on your opening click. The timer begins when you reveal your first square, and your best completion time is saved separately for each difficulty level.
You have two options to reveal or mark a square with a flag. We added dedicated Reveal and Flag buttons, which are especially useful on tablets and mobile devices. Alternatively, left-click to reveal (tap on tablet and mobile) or right-click (long hold on tablet and mobile) to flag a square. We feel that the reveal and flag buttons work better on tablet and mobile.
Start in the beginner mode to master the basics and then move on for a bigger challenge. Each difficulty keeps track of your personal best time for that particular session. It won’t be stored for future sessions.
Marty is located within the game and he works as a commentator rather than anything else. No account or download is required. Just choose your difficulty and start clearing those mines.
game layout and setup
Classic Minesweeper vibes all the way:
- Beginner: Small 9×9 grid with 10 hidden mines.
- Intermediate: 16×16 grid packed with 40 mines.
- Expert: The big challenge, 16×20 grid with 60 mines.
The board starts covered in blank squares. Click to reveal what’s underneath, and you’ll see numbers telling you how many mines are touching that square. Race the timer that starts on your first click. Finish a level and your fastest time for that current session gets saved as your personal best, displayed right under Marty in the Best Times section. Flag suspected mines with right-click (or long press on mobile and tablet) and try to clear the whole board without hitting a mine. You can also use the dedicated buttons reveal and flag to reveal or flag. We think those work best on tablet and mobile.
how to play minesweeper
Minesweeper rules are simple once you get the hang of it (though plenty of people were super frustrated when it first came out because they didn’t understand the logic behind those numbers!):
- Click any square to start. The timer kicks in and the first click is always safe.
- Numbers show how many mines are in the 8 surrounding squares (1 = one mine nearby, 2 = two, etc.).
- Use logic to figure out where the mines are. Right-click or use the flag button to flag them.
- Clear every non-mine square to win!
Pro tip: Start slow on Beginner to learn the patterns, then work your way up. The timer adds that exciting pressure. Can you beat your own best time?
how to win at minesweeper
Minesweeper becomes much easier once you stop treating each number separately. The key is to compare neighboring clues.
- Look for certain mines Imagine a revealed 1 has only one covered square remaining next to it. That square must contain a mine. Flag it. The same rule works with larger numbers. If a 2 has exactly two covered neighboring squares remaining, both of those squares must be mines.
- Use known mines to find safe squares. Flags don’t just tell you where mines are, they also help reveal where mines cannot be. For example, if a 1 is already touching one correctly identified mine, every other covered square touching that 1 is safe. Likewise, if a 2 already touches two known mines, its other neighboring squares can be revealed safely. This is one of the most useful deductions in Minesweeper.
- Compare overlapping clues The real strategy begins when two numbered squares share some of the same covered squares. Suppose one clue tells you there is one mine among a group of covered squares, while a neighboring clue tells you there are two mines across a slightly larger overlapping group. Comparing what the two clues have in common can reveal where the additional mine must be.
This is why you should look at groups of numbers rather than trying to solve every clue independently.
More Minesweeper Strategy Tips
4. Don’t flag unless you’re reasonably certain. A flag is only a marker and the game doesn’t check whether you’ve placed it correctly. An incorrect flag can therefore lead you to make incorrect deductions elsewhere on the board. If you’re unsure, leave the square covered and look for more information elsewhere. And unfortunately, you sometimes have to guess.
5. Work from the open areas. Large cleared areas usually create useful borders of numbered squares. Follow those borders and look for places where the available covered squares match the numbers exactly. If one part of the board doesn’t give you enough information, move to another open section and come back later.
A Little Bit of Minesweeper History
Minesweeper exploded in popularity in the early 90s when Microsoft bundled it with Windows 3.1, turning it into an office staple (and a serious productivity killer). While the exact origins are a bit fuzzy, similar mine avoidance games existed as far back as the 1980s, with early versions like Mined-Out on the ZX Spectrum.
Microsoft’s version, created by Robert Donner and Curt Johnson, was originally meant to help people learn how to use a mouse. When it launched, lots of new players got frustrated because they didn’t immediately grasp the logical deduction part, they thought it was pure luck! But once people understood the strategy, it became legendary.
Today, it’s still one of the most beloved puzzle games ever. Ready to join the club? Pick Beginner, Intermediate, or Expert, click that first square, and see if you can outsmart the mines while beating the clock with Marty nervously cheering you on. Good luck and may your flags always be accurate!
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