Minesweeper
How to Play Minesweeper: What the Numbers Mean (Finally Explained)
By TropicGames · · 2 min read
Be honest. For years, you clicked randomly. You opened a square, a few numbers appeared, you stared at them, and you clicked somewhere else hoping for the best. Then boom.
You're not alone. Millions of people played Minesweeper without ever being told how it works. So let's fix that, right now, in about three minutes.
The goal
The board is a grid of covered squares. Some hide mines. You win by uncovering every square that isn't a mine. You don't have to flag the mines to win — flags are just there to help you.
The numbers
This is the whole game. When you open a square, it shows a number. That number tells you how many mines are touching it, including diagonals. Every square has up to eight neighbours.
- A 1 means exactly one of its neighbours is a mine.
- A 3 means exactly three of its neighbours are mines.
- A blank square means none of its neighbours are mines, so the game opens them all for you.
A tiny example
Say you see a 1, and only one covered square touches it. That square must be the mine. Flag it.
Now look at another 1 next to it that also touches that flagged square. It already has its one mine. So every other covered square around it is safe. Open them.
That's it. That's the whole game. Find a mine for sure, then use it to find safe squares. Repeat.
The controls
- Left-click — open a square.
- Right-click — put a flag on a square you think is a mine. Right-click again for a question mark, and once more to clear it.
- Click a number that already has the right flags around it to open the rest of its neighbours at once. That's called chording.
On phones, our Minesweeper has a flag mode button so you can tap to flag.
Your first click is safe
The classic Windows game never let you hit a mine on your first click, and neither does ours. So start anywhere — the middle is a good bet.
Ready for more?
Once the numbers click, learn the shapes that show up again and again in the Minesweeper patterns guide. Or read the full Minesweeper guide.
Quick answers
- What does a number mean in Minesweeper?
- It's the number of mines in the eight squares touching it, including diagonals.
- Do you need to flag every mine to win Minesweeper?
- No. You win by opening every safe square. Flags only help you keep track.
- Is the first click in Minesweeper always safe?
- Yes, in the classic Windows version and on TropicGames the first click is never a mine.
Ready to play Minesweeper?
Play Minesweeper free →