Minesweeper is a logic puzzle played on a grid hiding a fixed number of mines. Your goal is to reveal every safe square without opening a mine. This guide explains the rules, the deduction method, and the patterns that speed you up.
The rules
Click a square to reveal it. If it hides a mine, the game ends. If it is safe, it shows a number from 1 to 8, counting the mines in the eight surrounding squares, or it opens as a blank that reveals a whole empty region at once. Right-click, or long-press on touch screens, to place a flag on a square you believe hides a mine. You win when every safe square is revealed; you do not need to flag every mine.
Difficulty levels
Beginner is a 9 by 9 grid with 10 mines. Intermediate is 16 by 16 with 40 mines. Expert is 30 by 16 with 99 mines. Start on Beginner until the deduction rules feel automatic, then move up. Your first click is always safe on most versions, since mines are placed after your opening move.
Step-by-step: make your first deductions
- Click somewhere in the middle or near a corner to open a region.
- Read each revealed number as a constraint: a 1 touches exactly one mine among its covered neighbors.
- If a number’s covered neighbors equal its mine count, all of them are mines: flag them.
- If a number’s mines are already all flagged, its other covered neighbors are safe: open them.
- Repeat. Each new reveal adds constraints that unlock further moves.
- When logic runs out, guess in a corner, where fewer neighbors mean better odds.
Patterns to recognize
The 1-2-1 pattern along an edge is the most famous: when you see 1, 2, 1 in a row along a wall, the mines sit on the outer cells flanking the 2. Corner and edge cells are easier to solve because they have fewer neighbors: 3 for a corner, 5 for an edge, versus 8 in the middle. Chording, clicking an open number whose flags are complete, clears its remaining neighbors at once and speeds up the endgame.
Guess boards versus no-guess boards
Ordinary boards can reach positions where no deduction is possible and a guess is forced. No-guess boards are generated so that a logical route exists all the way through. If guessing frustrates you, play no-guess mode; it trains pure deduction.
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Quick tips
- Start near corners and edges, where deductions are simplest.
- Flag only when forced; safe openings matter more than perfect flags.
- Learn the 1-2-1 pattern; it appears in almost every game.
Minesweeper rewards patience and logic, not luck. Read each number as a constraint, flag only forced mines, and open every square logic proves safe.
Frequently asked questions
Is Minesweeper luck or skill? Mostly skill, with some luck. Most positions can be solved by logic, especially on no-guess boards, but ordinary boards sometimes force a guess. Skilled players minimize guessing by using every constraint before choosing.
What is chording? Clicking an already-open number whose surrounding mines are all flagged, which opens all its remaining neighbors at once. It speeds up the endgame dramatically, but only chord when the flags are certainly correct, or you will open a mine.
What is a good Beginner time? Under a minute is solid for a new player, and experienced players finish Beginner boards in under 20 seconds. Do not chase speed until the deduction rules are automatic; fast guessing loses more games than slow logic.