How to Play Minesweeper: Tips and Strategies

What Is Minesweeper?

Minesweeper is a classic puzzle game that has been included with computers since 1989. The goal is to uncover all the squares that don't contain mines. If you click on a mine, you lose the game.

Basic Rules

Left click: Reveals a square
Right click (or long press): Places or removes a flag
Numbers: Indicate how many mines are in the 8 surrounding squares
Blank square: If there are no adjacent mines, neighboring squares are automatically revealed

Beginner Strategies

Start from a corner: Corners tend to open up larger areas
The 1-1 pattern: If you see two "1"s side by side along an edge, the squares between them are safe
Use flags: Mark the mines you're certain about
Read the numbers: If a number already has enough flags around it, the remaining squares are safe to click

Advanced Tactics

Experienced players learn to recognize common patterns like "1-2-1", "1-2-2-1", and others. Learning these patterns will dramatically reduce your solving time.

The key to speed is making quick decisions without hesitation. Memorize the patterns and play on autopilot through muscle memory.