Guides
How to play Minesweeper
Minesweeper takes a minute to learn. Here is everything the game does.
Open cells without opening a mine. A number on an opened cell is the count of mines in the eight cells around it. An opened cell with no number opens its neighbors automatically. Flag the cells you know are mines. You win when all cells without a mine are open.
The goal
The board has a grid of covered cells and a set number of hidden mines. Open every cell that is not a mine. If you open a mine, the game is over.
What the numbers mean
- A number from 1 to 8 counts the mines in the eight cells touching that cell, including the diagonals.
- A cell with no number has no mines around it, so the game opens all its neighbors for you, and keeps going.
- The Mines left counter is the number of mines minus the number of flags you placed.
Controls
| Action | Mouse | Touch | Keyboard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open a cell | Left click | Tap | Enter or Space |
| Place or remove a flag | Right click | Long press, or Flag mode and tap | F |
| Chord (open neighbors) | Click an opened number, or middle click | Tap an opened number | C, or Enter on a number |
| Move | Pointer | Finger | Arrow keys |
Chording
When the number of flags around an opened number equals that number, you can click the number to open all the other covered cells around it at once. This saves many clicks, but a wrong flag means a mine gets opened, so use it only when you are sure.
Levels
| Level | Size | Mines |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 9 by 9 | 10 |
| Medium | 16 by 16 | 40 |
| Hard | 30 by 16 | 99 |
You can also choose a custom size from 5 by 5 up to 40 by 30. The mine count is limited so there is always room for a safe start.
Frequently asked questions
Is the first click safe?
Yes. The mines are placed after your first click and keep that cell and its neighbors clear.