Minesweeper
Free online logic puzzle · New puzzle every day · No sign-up
Minesweeper in a nutshell
Minesweeper is a logic puzzle played on a grid of covered squares, some of which hide mines. When you uncover a safe square, a number tells you how many mines touch it. Use the numbers to work out where the mines are, and uncover every safe square to win.
- Uncover a square. Tap any square to start. Your first square is always safe here, and it always opens up a clear area.
- Read the numbers. A number shows how many mines are in the eight squares touching it, including diagonals.
- Blank means safe. A blank square has no mines around it, so its neighbours open up automatically.
- Flag the mines. When you are sure a square hides a mine, mark it with a flag: long-press it, right-click it, or switch on Flag mode and tap.
At a glance
- Players
- 1 player a puzzle of logic
- Length
- 1 to 15 minutes depending on size
- Equipment
- A grid with hidden mines
- Learn it in
- 5 minutes the numbers do the work
Minesweeper questions
What do the numbers in Minesweeper mean?
Each number tells you how many mines are hidden in the squares touching it. Every square has up to eight neighbours: above, below, left, right and the four diagonals.
Do I have to flag every mine?
No. You win by uncovering every safe square. Flags are only there to help you remember where the mines are.
Is Minesweeper just luck?
Mostly not. In many versions you occasionally reach a true fifty-fifty with no clues to help, and must guess. On GamesBento every board is checked before you play, so it can always be solved by logic alone.
What is the 1-2-1 pattern?
When you see 1, 2, 1 in a row along a straight edge of uncovered squares, the mines are next to the two 1s, and the square next to the 2 is safe.
What are the usual difficulty levels?
Common sizes are a 9 by 9 grid with 10 mines for beginners, 16 by 16 with 40 mines for intermediate, and 30 by 16 with 99 mines for expert.
