How to play minesweeper
The board hides a set number of mines. Open every square that is not a mine to win. When you open a square, it shows how many of its eight neighbors (including diagonals) contain a mine. A blank square has none, and the game opens its neighbors for you automatically.
- Open a square: click or tap it.
- Flag a mine: right-click, press and hold on a touch screen, or turn on Flag mode.
- Chord: click a number whose mines are all flagged to open the rest of its neighbors in one move. Middle-click works too.
- Keyboard: arrow keys move, Space or Enter opens, F flags.
The counter on the left shows mines minus flags placed. The timer starts with your first click.
Board sizes
| Level | Board | Mines | Mine density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 9 × 9 | 10 | about 12% |
| Intermediate | 16 × 16 | 40 | about 16% |
| Expert | 30 × 16 | 99 | about 21% |
These are the standard sizes that speed players use, so your times compare with times you see elsewhere. On a phone, the expert board scrolls sideways inside the game area.
Patterns that solve themselves
Ones and twos along a wall
A 1 touching only one hidden square means that square is a mine. If a 1 already has its mine flagged, every other hidden neighbor is safe. Work along the edge of the opened area and these two rules carry you a long way.
The 1-2-1 and 1-2-2-1
Along a straight edge, the pattern 1-2-1 means mines sit under both 1s and the square under the 2 is safe. The pattern 1-2-2-1 means mines sit under the two 2s, and the squares under the 1s are safe.
Subtract shared neighbors
If two numbers share most of their hidden neighbors, compare them. When a 2 sees the same squares as a neighboring 1 plus one extra square, that extra square must be a mine.
Tips for faster times
- Flag only when it helps you chord. Many fast players skip flags entirely on easy patterns.
- Look for the next safe square before your hand moves. Speed comes from fewer pauses more than faster clicks.
- Save true guesses for the end. Opening other areas often gives the clue that removes the guess.
Minesweeper style games date back to the 1980s and became famous when one was included with a popular desktop operating system in the early 1990s. If you like number logic, try a Nonogram or a round of Sudoku.
Questions
Is the first click always safe?
Yes. Mines are placed after your first click, and never on that square or the eight around it, so the first click always opens an area to start from.
How do I place a flag on a phone?
Press and hold a square for about half a second, or turn on Flag mode so that every tap places or removes a flag.
What is chording?
When a number already has that many flags around it, click or tap the number to open all its other neighbors at once. If a flag is wrong, this can set off a mine, so flag carefully.
Do I sometimes have to guess?
Sometimes, yes. Random boards can contain spots where the numbers allow two layouts. Experienced players reduce guessing by opening safe areas first and leaving 50/50 spots for last.
Where are my best times kept?
In your own browser, one per level. Clearing site data removes them.