How Minesweeper works
Every number on an opened square tells you how many of the eight squares touching it contain a mine. From that single rule, the entire game follows. If a square shows a 1 and exactly one of its neighbours is still covered, that neighbour is a mine. If a square shows a 2 and you have already flagged two of its neighbours, every other neighbour is safe to open.
Your first click here is always safe, and so are the eight squares around it, so no board is lost immediately to bad luck. Mines are placed after that click rather than before it. What remains is a deduction puzzle with one genuine wrinkle: on most boards you will eventually reach a position where logic alone cannot decide between two squares, and you have to take a probability.
Board sizes
| Level | Grid | Mines | Density | Typical time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 9 × 9 | 10 | 12% | 30 – 60 seconds |
| Intermediate | 16 × 16 | 40 | 16% | 2 – 5 minutes |
| Expert | 22 × 16 | 80 | 23% | 5 – 12 minutes |
| Pattern | What it means |
|---|---|
| 1-2-1 along an edge | Mines sit under the two 1s, centre is safe |
| 1-2-2-1 along an edge | Mines under the two 2s |
| A number equals its covered neighbours | All those neighbours are mines |
| A number equals its flagged neighbours | All remaining neighbours are safe |
How to clear boards faster
- Learn the two counting rules before anything else. If a number equals the count of its covered neighbours, all of them are mines. If a number equals the count of its flagged neighbours, every other neighbour is safe. Almost every move in the game is one of these two.
- Work the edges and corners first. Edge squares have five neighbours and corners have three, against eight in the middle. Fewer unknowns means deduction resolves faster, which is why experienced players open the border early.
- Memorise the 1-2-1 pattern. Three consecutive numbers reading 1-2-1 along a wall always means mines under the outer 1s and safety in the middle. It appears on nearly every board and recognising it on sight saves real time.
- Do not flag everything. Flags cost time and only help when you are about to use a counting rule. Strong players flag only where it unlocks a deduction and leave the rest covered.
- When you must guess, count first. If one square has a one in three chance of being a mine and another has one in two, that difference decides the board. Guessing is unavoidable sometimes, but guessing without comparing the odds is not.
Frequently asked questions
Is the first click always safe in Minesweeper?
On this version, yes. Mines are placed after your first click, and the eight squares surrounding it are also kept clear, so you always get an opening rather than an instant loss.
What do the numbers mean?
A number counts how many of the eight squares touching it contain a mine. A blank opened square touches no mines at all, which is why blanks cascade open automatically.
Can every Minesweeper board be solved by logic?
No. Most boards eventually present a position where two squares are equally likely and no deduction separates them. This is inherent to the game rather than a flaw, and it is why expert boards are lost to a final coin flip more often than to a mistake.
What is a good Minesweeper time?
Under 60 seconds on beginner, under 5 minutes on intermediate, and under 12 minutes on expert are solid. World records sit around 1 second, 7 seconds and 30 seconds respectively, achieved with heavy pattern recognition and some luck.
How do I flag a mine on mobile?
Long-press the square. On desktop, right-click, or hover the square and press F.