How to play Minesweeper: a beginner's guide
Minesweeper looks intimidating: a grid of blank squares hiding mines. But the whole game runs on one rule, and once it clicks you’ll clear boards on instinct. Here’s how to play Minesweeper, start to finish.
The goal
Reveal every square that isn’t a mine. You never need to click a mine to win, and you don’t have to flag every mine either. Clear all the safe squares and the game is won.
What the numbers mean
When you reveal a safe square, it shows a number from 1 to 8, or nothing at all.
- The number is how many mines touch that square — counting all eight neighbors (including diagonals).
- A blank square touches zero mines. The game auto-opens the whole connected patch of blanks for you, which is why your first click can clear a big area.
That’s the entire game. Every deduction you make is just counting a number’s neighbors.
The first click is safe
In a good version of Minesweeper, your first click is never a mine — the board is arranged so you always get a safe opening. Our Minesweeper guarantees a safe first reveal, so open near the middle to uncover the largest starting area.
How to flag mines
When you’re sure a square is a mine, flag it so you don’t click it by accident. On a touchscreen you tap and hold to place a flag; on a Mac you right-click. Flags are a memory aid for you, not a scoring requirement.
The two patterns that solve most boards
You rarely need to guess. Two situations cover the majority of moves:
- A number equals its hidden neighbors → they’re all mines. If a
1touches exactly one unrevealed square, that square is a mine. Flag it. - A number is already satisfied → its other neighbors are safe. If that same
1already has one flagged mine next to it, every other square it touches is safe to open.
Work the edges where revealed numbers meet unrevealed squares, applying those two rules, and the board unravels.
When you have to guess
Sometimes two squares are equally likely and there’s no logical certainty. Play the odds: open the square touched by the lowest numbers, and prefer corners and edges, which have fewer neighbors and slightly better odds.
FAQ
Is the first click always safe? In our Minesweeper, yes — the first reveal of each game is designed to be safe.
Do I have to flag every mine to win? No. You win by revealing all the safe squares; flags are optional.
What do the numbers count? The mines in the eight squares around that number, diagonals included.
Ready to try it? Minesweeper is a clean, ad-free version for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, with a safe first click and four difficulty levels. Or browse more logic games.
