How to play Minesweeper

Minesweeper is a logic puzzle hiding behind a game about bombs. Every number is a clue, and with a little practice you'll read a board like a book.

The goal

Open every square that isn't a mine. You don't need to flag the mines to win, but flags help you keep track.

What the numbers mean

A number tells you how many mines touch that square, counting all eight neighbours: up, down, left, right and the four diagonals. A blank square has no mines around it, so the game opens its neighbours for you automatically.

The 1 in the corner of the dug area touches just one hidden square.

So that square is a mine, and the 1s around it have their mine too: the other hidden squares they touch are safe.

In the pictures: green = still hidden, red with 💣 = must be a mine, green with a dark ring = proven safe.

Controls

Phone: tap to dig, press and hold to flag. Or flip the Dig / Flag switch and tap.
Computer: click to dig, right-click to flag. Arrow keys move, F flags.
Chord: tap a number that already has the right number of flags around it to open all its other neighbours.

Board sizes

Level	Size	Mines	Density
Beginner	9×9	10	12%
Intermediate	16×16	40	16%
Expert	16×30 (30×16 on a computer)	99	21%

Play Beginner Learn the patterns

Questions

Is the first click always safe?

Here the opening is already dug for you, so you never lose on your first move. Every board is solvable by logic from there.

Do I have to flag every mine?

No. You win when every safe square is open. Flags are just notes for yourself.

Why does a blank square open lots of squares?

A blank has zero mines around it, so all its neighbours are safe. The game opens them, and keeps going through any other blanks.

Play today's MinesweeperThree boards a day, no guessing needed. Free, no sign-up.