Minesweeper online
Use the numbers to work out where the mines are and open every safe square. Your first tap is always safe.
How do you play minesweeper?
In minesweeper, you open the squares of a grid without touching the hidden mines. Each number shows how many mines are in the eight squares around it. Use that clue to mark the mines with flags and open the safe squares. You win when every square without a mine is open.
How to play
- The grid hides mines. The goal is to open every square that has no mine.
- Tap a square to open it. The first tap is never a mine and it opens a whole area.
- Each number shows how many mines are in the neighboring squares: the eight squares around it, diagonals included.
- An open square with no number has no mine nearby. In that case the game opens the neighboring squares for you.
- Think a square hides a mine? Mark it with a flag. On a phone, pick the Place flag mode or press and hold the square. On a computer, use the right mouse button or the F key.
- A flagged square does not open when you tap it. To remove the flag, mark the square again.
- Tap a number that already has the same amount of flags around it: the game opens the other neighboring squares at once. If a flag is in the wrong place, you open a mine.
- The mine counter shows the total number of mines minus the flags you placed. The timer starts on your first tap.
- You win when every square without a mine is open. If you open a mine, the game ends and the grid shows where the others were.
Levels
- Easy: a 9 by 9 grid with 10 mines.
- Medium: on a phone, 9 columns by 16 rows with 22 mines. On a wide screen, 16 by 16 with 40 mines.
- Hard: on a phone, 9 columns by 20 rows with 37 mines. On a wide screen, 30 columns by 16 rows with 99 mines.
- Your best time is saved on your device, separately for each level and grid size.
Tips to play better
- Start at the corners of the open areas. A 1 that touches only one closed square tells you that square is a mine.
- When a number already has all of its mines flagged, the other neighboring squares are safe. Tap the number to open them all at once.
- Compare two numbers that sit side by side. The difference between them often shows which square has a mine and which one is safe.
- On a phone, keep the Place flag mode on while you mark several mines in a row. Then go back to the Open square mode.
- Guess only when there is no certain move left. When you must guess, pick the square with the lowest chance of hiding a mine.
- Use the mine counter near the end of the game: it shows how many mines you still have to mark.
Frequently asked questions
What do the numbers in minesweeper mean?
Each number shows how many mines are in the eight squares around it, diagonals included. A 3, for example, has three mines among its neighboring squares.
Can the first tap be a mine?
No. In this version the mines are placed after your first tap. The square you tap and its neighbors are always safe, which is why the tap opens an area.
How do I place a flag on a phone?
Pick the Place flag mode and tap the squares. You can also press and hold a square for a moment while you stay in the Open square mode.
Do I need to flag every mine to win?
No. You win by opening every square without a mine. Flags are only a reminder so you do not tap the wrong square.
Can I always win without guessing?
Not always. Some grids end in a spot where only a guess settles it. That is part of minesweeper, and it happens more often on levels with many mines.
