How to Play Minesweeper: Rules, Strategy & Free Puzzles
Minesweeper is the classic deduction game. Hidden mines are scattered across a grid, and every revealed cell shows a number counting the mines in the eight cells around it. Use those numbers to work out which cells are safe, flag the mines, and uncover the whole board without detonating one.
- Skill: Probabilistic deduction
- ·
- Difficulty: Beginner to Advanced
How to play Minesweeper
- Reveal safe cells. Tap a cell to reveal it; a number shows how many mines touch it across the eight neighbours.
- Flag the mines. Long-press a cell you believe hides a mine to flag it and keep track.
- A blank clears out. Revealing a cell with no adjacent mines automatically opens the empty area around it.
- Win by clearing. You win when every safe cell is revealed; touch a mine and the game ends.
Minesweeper strategy & tips
- When a number already touches that many flags, its other neighbours are all safe to open.
- When a number equals its remaining hidden neighbours, every one of those hidden cells is a mine.
- Work the edges of revealed areas where clues overlap — that is where certainty appears.
Play Minesweeper free on MiniMind
Unlimited adaptive levels · 100% offline · no paywall.
Minesweeper FAQ
What do the numbers mean in Minesweeper?
Each number is the count of mines in the eight cells surrounding it. A 3 means exactly three of its neighbours hide mines.
Is the first tap ever a mine?
On MiniMind the board is arranged so your opening reveal is always safe, giving you a foothold to reason from.
Related puzzles
Reference: Minesweeper on Wikipedia