Minesweeper is a single-player logic puzzle about reading numbers and finding hidden mines. A free, in-browser version is planned here; meanwhile, this guide covers the rules and strategy.
The History of Minesweeper
Mine-hunting puzzles on a grid appeared on home computers in the early 1980s. Mined-Out, a 1983 game by Ian Andrew for the ZX Spectrum, is often cited as an early example of the idea, and a Unix game called Mines followed in the late 1980s.
The version most people know was written by Robert Donner and Curt Johnson and released by Microsoft in 1990. It later shipped as a standard accessory with Windows and stayed there for more than two decades, until Windows 8 in 2012 replaced it with a separate download.
Today it has a community of speed solvers and countless clones. The design has barely changed, because it is a compact puzzle of pure deduction.
How to Play Minesweeper: Basic Rules
You face a grid of covered squares. Some hide mines. Your goal is to uncover every safe square without opening a mine.
Most versions offer three standard levels, plus a custom option.
- Choose a level. Beginner is usually 9x9 with 10 mines (some versions use 8x8), Intermediate is 16x16 with 40 mines, and Expert is 30x16 with 99 mines.
- Click a square to uncover it. If it hides a mine, the game is over. In the classic Windows game, your first click is always safe.
- A revealed number tells you how many of the eight surrounding squares contain mines. A 1 means exactly one neighboring mine, a 3 means three, and so on.
- If a square has no neighboring mines, it shows as blank and the game automatically opens its neighbors, which can clear a large region at once.
- Right-click, or use your device's flag mode, to place a flag on a square you believe holds a mine. The mine counter shows total mines minus your flags.
- Chording: in many versions, when a number already has that many flags around it, clicking it with both buttons opens all its remaining unflagged neighbors in one move. If a flag is wrong, chording will open a mine.
- You win when every square that does not hold a mine has been uncovered. You do not have to flag every mine.
Minesweeper Variants and Board Sizes
Versions differ in small ways. Some guarantee that the first click opens a blank area, not just a safe square. Some add question-mark flags for uncertain squares, and some offer hexagonal boards. Check the size and mine count before comparing difficulty, since a dense board is far harder than a sparse one.
Minesweeper Strategy: How to Win More Often
Good play squeezes certainty out of the numbers before guessing.
- Start by counting. If a number equals the count of covered squares around it, all of them are mines.
- Flag the easy mines first. Once a number has its full count of flags, every other neighbor is safe, so you can open them confidently.
- Learn the 1-2-1 pattern along an edge: the two squares next to the 1s on the covered side are mines, and the square next to the 2 is safe.
- Compare neighboring numbers. If one number's covered squares are a subset of another's, subtract the counts to see exactly where the extra mines sit.
- Use the mine counter late. When the remaining mines equal the covered squares left, every one of them is a mine.
- Guess only when you must, and choose the square with the lowest chance of a mine. Compare the overall mine density with the odds beside a high number.
- Prefer guesses that give information, such as a square likely to open a blank area.
- Work from edges and corners first. They have fewer neighbors, so their numbers give stronger clues.
Playing Minesweeper Online
A browser version of Minesweeper is planned from PureTable Games. We intend it to be free and need no sign-up, with all three standard levels and touch controls.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the standard Minesweeper board sizes?
Most versions use three levels. Beginner is usually 9x9 with 10 mines, though some use 8x8. Intermediate is 16x16 with 40 mines, and Expert is 30x16 with 99 mines. Many versions also provide a custom option where you choose the size and the number of mines yourself.
What do the numbers in Minesweeper mean?
Each number tells you how many of the eight squares touching it, including diagonals, contain a mine. A 1 means one neighboring mine and a 2 means two. A blank square means none of its neighbors are mines, which is why the game opens those neighbors for you.
Is the first click in Minesweeper always safe?
In the classic Windows version the first click is always safe, but this is not universal. Some versions go further and guarantee a blank opening, while a few simple clones can place a mine under your first click. Check the rules of the version you play.
What is chording in Minesweeper?
Chording is a shortcut for opening several squares at once. When a revealed number already has that many flags around it, you click it with both mouse buttons and every remaining unflagged neighbor opens. A misplaced flag will open a mine.
Do I have to flag every mine to win?
No. You win by uncovering every square that does not hold a mine. Flags are only a memory aid that also help with chording and the mine counter. Many fast players skip flagging entirely and just click squares they know are safe.
Can every Minesweeper board be solved without guessing?
No. Some positions leave only a coin-flip choice, and a random board can force a guess, especially on Expert. Careful reasoning reduces guessing and lets you pick the lowest-risk square when you do. Some versions offer boards that are generated to be solvable.