Welcome to the timeless classic that has puzzled and delighted millions: Minesweeper! It might look intimidating with all those numbers and squares, but its logic is simple and incredibly rewarding. This guide will turn you from a complete novice into a confident player in just five minutes.
1. The Goal: Clear the Board, Not the Mines
Your objective in Minesweeper is not to find all the mines. It's to clear all the safe squares without clicking on a single mine. You win when every square that doesn't have a mine has been revealed. Clicking a mine ends the game instantly.
2. Understanding the Numbers: Your Key to Victory
When you click a safe square, you'll see one of two things: a blank space or a number. This number is the most important clue in the game.
What the number means: A number tells you exactly how many mines are touching that square, including the diagonals. For example, if a square shows a '1', it means that one of its eight neighboring squares (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally) contains a mine. If it shows a '3', it means three of its eight neighbors are mines.
Blank squares: A blank square is essentially a '0'. It means none of its neighbors are mines. The game helps you by automatically clearing all the squares around a blank space, as they are all guaranteed to be safe.
3. Using the Flag (🚩): Your Most Important Tool
When you are certain a square contains a mine, don't click it! Instead, use the right mouse button to place a flag (🚩) on it.
Why flag? Flagging helps you keep track of where the dangers are. It acts as a visual reminder, so you don't accidentally click on a square you've already identified as a mine.
Safety Lock: Once a square is flagged, you cannot accidentally left-click it. This is a crucial safety feature. You can remove a flag by right-clicking it again.
4. The First Click: A Leap of Faith
So, where should you click first on a completely empty board?
The Golden Rule: Your very first click in Minesweeper is always safe. The game is designed so that you can never lose on the first move.
Best Strategy: Don't start at the edges or corners. Click somewhere near the center of the board. Why? Because a click in the middle has the highest chance of revealing a large blank area. This gives you the maximum amount of information (lots of numbers) to start making logical deductions right away.
That's all you need to know to start! Click a square in the middle, look at the numbers, use your logic to find a square that must be a mine, and flag it. Then, use that information to find a square that must be safe, and click it. Repeat this process, and you'll have cleared the board before you know it. Good luck, and happy sweeping!