The rules in one minute
Minesweeper hides mines under a grid of squares. Open a safe square and it shows a number: how many mines are in the eight squares around it, diagonals included. Open a mine and the game is over. Flag every square you're certain is a mine, and open every other square to win.
- Blank squares have zero mines around them, so the game opens their neighbours for you. That's why the first click often clears a big patch.
- Flags (right-click, or long-press on a phone) are just reminders; you don't need to flag to win, but they make chording possible.
- Chording: once a number has as many flags around it as its value, click it to open all its other neighbours at once.
The two basic deductions
Count the hidden neighbours. If a 2 has exactly two unopened squares around it, both are mines. Count the flags. If a 2 already has two flags beside it, every other neighbour is safe. Nearly every move on a Beginner board is one of these two.
Patterns worth memorising
On bigger boards you'll meet the same shapes over and over. Step through each one:
Step 1 of 3
The left 1 touches only two hidden squares: the two above it. One of them is a mine.
When logic runs out
Sometimes no square is certain. Then you're playing probability. A square in open ground far from any number often has lower odds than a forced 50/50, roughly the overall mine density (about 12% on Beginner, 16% on Intermediate and 21% on Expert). Take guesses early: losing at the start costs seconds, losing at the end costs the whole game.
Ready? Play Minesweeper. The first click is always safe.
Ask the puzzle coach
Stuck on a rule or a tactic? Ask in plain words. The coach only talks puzzles, and the answer is written for you on the spot.
Questions players ask
What do the numbers in Minesweeper mean?
A number is the count of mines in the eight squares touching it, including diagonals. A 3 means exactly three of its neighbours hide mines.
What do you do when you have to guess?
Guess where the odds are best. A square touching nothing revealed is often safer than a 50/50 between two squares, and corners open the most ground if they are safe. Guess early rather than at the very end.
Is Minesweeper pure logic?
Mostly. Many boards can be solved without guessing, but classic Minesweeper does not guarantee it, so occasionally a guess is unavoidable.
What does a blank square mean?
It has no mines around it, which is why the game automatically opens all its neighbours.