Play Minesweeper Online - The Classic Logic Puzzle
Minesweeper is the timeless logic puzzle that came bundled with Windows for decades, challenging millions of players worldwide. Use number clues to deduce mine locations, flag dangerous squares, and safely reveal the entire board. Simple rules, deep logical thinking!
How to Play Minesweeper
Objective: Reveal all safe squares without detonating any mines.
Game Setup
- Beginner: 9×9 grid with 10 mines (81 squares)
- Intermediate: 16×16 grid with 40 mines (256 squares)
- Expert: 30×16 grid with 99 mines (480 squares)
- Hidden Mines: Randomly placed at game start
Basic Rules
- Left Click: Reveal a square (shows number or blank)
- Right Click: Place/remove a flag marking suspected mine
- Number Clues: Each number shows how many mines touch that square (including diagonals)
- Blank Squares: Zero adjacent mines - automatically reveals neighbors
- First Click Safe: Your first click is always safe (no mine)
- Game Over: Click a mine and you lose; reveal all safe squares and you win
Understanding Numbers
- 1: Exactly one mine in the 8 surrounding squares
- 2: Exactly two mines adjacent
- 3-8: Increasingly rare, indicates mine clusters
- Blank: Zero mines nearby - safe area to expand from
Winning Strategy for Minesweeper
1. Start with Corners and Edges
Corners have only 3 neighbors (instead of 8), and edges have 5. These positions give you more information per square revealed, making deduction easier. Many expert players always start with a corner click.
2. Use the "1-2-1" Pattern
When you see a 1-2-1 pattern in a row, the mines are always at the ends, never in the middle. This is one of the most common and useful patterns:
- Three revealed squares showing "1-2-1"
- Mines must be on the two outer positions
- Middle position is always safe
- Flag the ends, click the middle
3. Look for "Satisfied" Numbers
When a number already has that many flags around it, all remaining adjacent squares are safe to click. For example, if a "3" has three flags around it, click all other adjacent squares without fear.
4. Use the "1-2" Pattern
When adjacent squares show "1-2", the extra mine touching the "2" must be in a specific location:
- Both squares share some neighbors
- The "1" tells you there's one mine in its group
- The "2" tells you there are two mines in its group
- Therefore, the second mine must be in the squares ONLY touching the "2"
5. Clear Blank Areas First
When you reveal a blank square (0), it automatically cascades to reveal all connected blanks and their number borders. This gives you massive amounts of information quickly. Always fully explore blank areas before tackling dense mine regions.
6. Count Remaining Mines
The game shows how many mines remain (total minus flags placed). Use this for endgame deduction:
- If 2 mines remain and you see exactly 2 uncertain squares, they're both mines
- If 1 mine remains in a group of 3 squares, you can often deduce which one by examining nearby numbers
- Don't place flags randomly - accurate counting is crucial
7. Advanced: Tank Solving
Expert players use "tank solving" - treating connected uncertain regions as one logical unit:
- Identify borders between known and unknown areas
- List all possible mine configurations
- Eliminate configurations that contradict number clues
- Find squares that are safe (or mines) in ALL remaining configurations
Common Minesweeper Patterns
The "1-1" Pattern
Two adjacent "1"s with only 2 shared unrevealed squares: one square has the mine, the other is safe, but you can't tell which without more information. Look at surrounding numbers for clues.
The Corner "2"
A "2" in a corner with only 3 total neighbors: If two of those neighbors are revealed safe squares, the third MUST be a mine. This is a guaranteed deduction.
The "1-2-2-1" Pattern
Diagonal pattern of 1-2-2-1: The mines form a diagonal line through the "2"s. This pattern appears frequently in intermediate games and guarantees specific mine locations.
Minesweeper Difficulty Levels
Beginner (9×9, 10 mines)
Win Rate: ~85% for experienced players. Perfect for learning basic patterns and logic. Games last 1-3 minutes. The small grid makes it easy to track all information.
Intermediate (16×16, 40 mines)
Win Rate: ~60% for good players. Requires pattern recognition and systematic clearing. Games last 3-8 minutes. Introduces more complex pattern interactions.
Expert (30×16, 99 mines)
Win Rate: ~30% even for experts. Demands perfect logic, fast clicking, and some luck. Games last 5-15 minutes. Large grid requires excellent spatial awareness and memory.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Minesweeper purely logic or does it require guessing?
Most of the game is pure logic, but some situations require guessing (typically 5-20% of games). However, good players minimize guessing by: (1) starting in corners for maximum information, (2) developing edges before centers, and (3) saving 50/50 guesses for the end when you have maximum information.
What's a good time for each difficulty?
Beginner: Under 30 seconds is excellent, under 10 seconds is expert level. Intermediate: Under 60 seconds is very good, under 40 seconds is exceptional. Expert: Under 100 seconds is impressive, under 60 seconds is world-class (speedrunners can achieve under 40!).
Should I flag all mines or just click safe squares?
For speed, many experts don't flag at all - they only click safe squares since the goal is revealing all safe squares, not flagging mines. However, flagging helps prevent mistakes and aids in complex deductions. Use flags when they help your logic, skip them when you're certain.
What's "chording" and should I use it?
Chording (also called "double-clicking") is clicking with both mouse buttons on a satisfied number to reveal all adjacent unflagged squares. It's a massive time-saver for expert play, but requires accurate flagging to avoid mistakes. Practice on beginner before using it on expert!
Why did I lose when my flags were correct?
You probably clicked an unrevealed square that happened to be a mine. Flags are just markers - they don't make squares safe. You must click only squares you're CERTAIN are safe through logical deduction.
How do I get better at Minesweeper?
Practice these skills: (1) Learn the common patterns (1-2-1, 1-2, corner patterns), (2) develop a systematic clearing strategy instead of random clicking, (3) always look for satisfied numbers before making complex deductions, (4) count remaining mines for endgame logic, (5) practice on beginner until you can win 90%+ of games, then move up in difficulty.
Test your logic skills - play Minesweeper now!
