How to play Minesweeper
Somewhere under the grass are hidden mines. Your job is to dig up every safe square without touching one.
- Dig a square. If it's safe, it shows a number: how many mines touch it, counting all eight squares around it, diagonals too.
- Flag the mines you've found. Press and hold a square (or right-click) to plant a flag on it.
- Clear every safe square and you win. You don't have to flag every mine, but it helps.
A blank square means no mines touch it, so the game opens its neighbours for you. That's why your first dig opens a big patch.
No guessing, ever
In classic Minesweeper you sometimes reach a 50/50 where no amount of thinking helps. Not here. Every board, daily and practice, is checked by a solver before you see it: starting from the opening, it can be cleared by logic alone. If you're stuck, there is always a safe square you can prove.
Daily boards
Each day has three boards, the same for everyone: Beginner (9×9, 10 mines), Intermediate (16×16, 40 mines) and Expert (99 mines on a 16×30 field, the classic 30×16 turned upright to fit a phone). The opening is already dug for you. Clear it, then share your time.
Tips
- A 1 touching just one hidden square: that square is a mine. Flag it.
- A number with all its mines flagged: every other square around it is safe. Tap the number to open them all at once (a "chord").
- The 1-2-1 pattern along a wall: the mines sit under the two 1s, never under the 2.
- 1-2-2-1: the mines sit under the two 2s.
- Read more in the Minesweeper strategy guide and the patterns cheat sheet.
Questions
How do I flag on a phone?
Press and hold a square until the flag appears. Or switch the toggle under the board from Dig to Flag, then tap.
What happens if I hit a mine?
The board shows where all the mines were. Tap Try again to replay the same board from the opening. On the daily, your first finished try is the one that counts for your stats.
What is chording?
When a number already has that many flags around it, tap the number to dig all its other neighbours at once. It's the fastest way to play.
Do I need to download anything?
No. It runs in any browser on phone or computer, and you can add it to your home screen. Stats stay on your device.