How to Play Minesweeper
Minesweeper is the legendary puzzle game that came preloaded on millions of PCs. Click to reveal safe squares, use numbers as clues to find hidden mines, and flag every mine to clear the field. One wrong click and it is game over!
📋 Rules
Goal
Reveal all safe squares on the grid without clicking on a mine. Each revealed square shows a number indicating how many mines are in the 8 surrounding squares.
Left Click
Click a square to reveal it. If it has no adjacent mines (0), all neighboring safe squares are revealed automatically (flood fill).
Right Click / Long Press
Right-click (or long-press on mobile) to place a flag on a suspected mine. Flagged squares cannot be accidentally revealed.
Double Click
Double-click a revealed number to "chord reveal" — if the correct number of adjacent flags are placed, all remaining unrevealed neighbors are revealed.
Difficulty
Beginner: 9×9 grid with 10 mines. Intermediate: 16×16 with 40 mines. Expert: 16×30 with 99 mines.
🧠 Strategy Tips
- Start by clicking near the center — corners and edges give less information on the first click.
- Use the 1-2-1 pattern: when you see 1-2-1 along an edge, the mines are next to the 1s.
- Flag obvious mines immediately to reduce the cognitive load of counting.
- Use chord reveal aggressively once you have flagged correctly — it speeds up clearing immensely.
- When stuck, look at the intersection of multiple number clues. Overlapping constraints often reveal the answer.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Is the first click always safe?
Yes! The mines are placed after your first click, ensuring you always get a safe opening.
Is every Minesweeper game solvable without guessing?
Not always. Some board configurations require educated guesses, especially on Expert difficulty. Beginner boards are almost always solvable with pure logic.
What is a good Expert time?
Under 100 seconds is very strong. The world record is under 30 seconds. For beginners, completing an Expert board at all is an achievement!