How to Play Minesweeper

THE PLAYBOOK · IHAHOOO

How to play Minesweeper

Bring your attention to one round of Minesweeper. 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 the game area visible while you use its controls. Read the objective before making your first input. Choose a clear next step rather than rushing through the instructions.

Review a difficult moment

When a decision goes wrong, compare it with the common mistake described below. Start again only when you intend to leave the current round. Keep the objective visible.

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. Notice how the game responds to your input.

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. On a smaller screen, keep the active part of the board within view. A new-round button replaces the current round.

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. Apply the same reasoning to the position in your own round. 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. Check the rule before repeating the action. Read one step at a time and try it on the playing area. Match the instruction to the control you use.

Common questions