How to Play Minesweeper

THE PLAYBOOK · CSQUAN

How to play Minesweeper

Start Minesweeper by looking at the playing area and its controls. Open all 71 safe cells. Opening a mine ends the round. Flags help you mark suspected mines but do not replace opening safe cells. Keep the game area visible while you use its controls. Use the opening round to become familiar with the layout. Choose a clear next step rather than rushing through the instructions.

A useful comparison

Compare the worked example with your own position. Use the reasoning, not an answer copied from a different board. Make the next step deliberately.

Your goal

Open all 71 safe cells. Opening a mine ends the round. Flags help you mark suspected mines but do not replace opening safe cells. Use the instructions to see which actions move you towards it. Follow this game’s rules rather than another version’s.

Step by step

1. Open a covered square to reveal it.
2. A number counts mines in the surrounding eight positions.
3. Right-click to flag on a computer, or enable Flag mode on a phone.
4. Use safe deductions to open the remaining cells.

Controls

Click/tap to open. Right-click to flag, or use the Flag mode toggle for touch devices. On a smaller screen, keep the active part of the board within view. Make sure you are interacting with the game rather than the surrounding page.

A useful example

A revealed 1 means exactly one neighbouring square contains a mine. The clue counts diagonal neighbours as well as the squares directly beside it. Use the example as a guide rather than a substitute for reading your board. Consider the next action carefully.

Watch out for this

A flag is your own note, not a confirmation from the game. Remove a mistaken flag before opening that square. Take a moment to reassess the position before continuing. Take enough time to read a new position. If a game has a timer, learn its controls first rather than searching for them during the round.

Common questions