STRATEGY GUIDE
How to play Minesweeper — and how to stop guessing
Minesweeper has one rule and one skill. The rule is that a number counts the mines touching that square. The skill is turning those numbers into deductions until the board is empty. This guide covers the whole path: the basic moves, the four patterns that resolve most positions deterministically, chording, and how to pick a difficulty that actually teaches you something.
You can play the game this guide is written for right here: free online Minesweeper, no download or signup.
The basic loop
- Open a square. Your first click is always safe, so start wherever you like — a corner usually cascades the furthest.
- Read every new number. A revealed 3 means exactly three of its eight neighbours are mines. Those are the only squares that matter right now.
- Flag what you are sure of. Right-click or press F. Flags are bookkeeping: they keep you from re-counting the same square twice.
- Expand. Every number whose mines are all flagged tells you its other neighbours are safe. Open them and repeat.
Four patterns that need no guessing
Almost every "I had to guess" board was actually solvable. These four shapes come up constantly:
1. The satisfied number
If a number already touches that many flags, every other neighbour is safe. This is the workhorse — you will use it hundreds of times per board.
2. The forced number
If a number has exactly as many unopened neighbours left as its value, all of them are mines. Flag them and move on.
3. The 1-2-1 line
Three numbers in a row reading 1-2-1, against a wall of unopened squares, means the mines sit under the two outer positions. The square in front of the 2 is safe.
4. The 1-2-2-1 corner
Along an edge, a 1-2-2-1 run puts mines under the two middle positions, which lets you open the squares beneath the outer walls.
Recognising these four is most of the difference between a beginner and a player who finishes Expert boards.
Chording: the move that wins games
Once a number's mines are all flagged, double-click the number. Every remaining neighbour opens at once. On a large board chording is often dozens of clicks saved, and it is the only practical way to finish a 24×36 abyss board.
Chord with care: if a flag is wrong, double-clicking will detonate. Check the count before you commit.
When you really do have to guess
Some boards genuinely cannot be resolved by deduction. When that happens:
- Expand everything provable first, so the guess costs you the fewest squares.
- Prefer a guess that also unlocks information — a 50/50 next to a large closed region is better than one in a dead corner.
- On the daily challenge, remember everyone faces the same board. A lucky guess is a ranking advantage, not a skill gap.
Which difficulty should you play?
- Beginner (9×9, 10 mines) — learn the patterns. Aim to finish without a single flag mistake before moving up.
- Intermediate (16×16, 40 mines) — the classic. Most of the world's recorded times live here.
- Advanced (16×30, 99 mines) — the original Expert layout. Chording becomes mandatory.
- Expert, Master, Abyss (up to 24×36, 260 mines) — endurance boards. Here you also unlock density modifiers that add 25%, 50% or 100% more mines.
If you can clear Intermediate comfortably but keep losing on Advanced, the problem is almost always unflagged counting rather than speed.
Daily challenge and leaderboard
Each day generates one fixed minefield per difficulty and density. Everyone plays the same board, and clearing it submits your time to the shared daily leaderboard — so a daily run is the fairest way to compare yourself with other players.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Minesweeper a game of luck?
- Mostly not. The great majority of boards can be finished with pure deduction; guesses are usually only needed near the end of large boards.
- What does the number mean?
- It counts mines in the eight squares surrounding it, diagonals included.
- How do I flag on a phone?
- Use flag mode, or long-press the square.
- Is this Minesweeper free?
- Yes — free, no download, no signup, and it keeps working offline after the first load.