How to Play Minesweeper

THE PLAYBOOK · XTTAOBAO

How to play Minesweeper

Try Minesweeper at your own pace and keep its objective in view. Open all 71 safe cells. Opening a mine ends the round. Flags help you mark suspected mines but do not replace opening safe cells. Look at what changes after your first action. Make your first input carefully and watch the result. Check the relevant rule before repeating a move.

A careful first round

Before your first action, say what you are trying to achieve. Then compare the result with the goal. Refer to the controls when needed.

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. Keep that objective in view throughout the round. The example below illustrates a decision.

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. Keep the playing area visible while using these controls. Avoid pressing the same control repeatedly while a move is being processed.

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. Your next round may have a different position, so inspect it before acting. Choose a deliberate next step.

Watch out for this

A flag is your own note, not a confirmation from the game. Remove a mistaken flag before opening that square. A different version of the game may use a different rule. After a move, check what changed. Decide which rule explains the new state before acting again.

Common questions