The aim is simple.
Uncover every square that does not contain a mine. If you reveal a mine, the round ends. You don’t need to flag all the mines to win; you only need to open all the safe squares.
Read the numbers.
A revealed number tells you how many mines are in its neighboring squares. Count all eight possible neighbors: above, below, left, right, and the four diagonals. Squares at an edge or corner have fewer neighbors.
A 1 means one neighboring mine. If only one covered square touches that 1, that square must be a mine. Flag it. If a 1 already touches one correctly placed flag, its other neighbors are safe.
Make your first move.
Pick any covered square. Your first click and its neighboring squares are always free of mines. Empty regions open automatically, giving you a set of numbered clues to work from.
Flag, then clear.
Right-click a covered square to place or remove a flag. On a phone, hold the square or select Flag beneath the board. When a revealed number touches the right number of flags, click that number to open its other neighbors. This shortcut is called chording.
A matching flag count is not proof that the flags are correct. If you chord around an incorrectly placed flag, you can reveal a mine. Use the clues before using the shortcut.
Choose your pace.
| Level | Board | Mines | A good fit for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 9 × 9 | 10 | Learning the rhythm |
| Intermediate | 16 × 16 | 40 | A longer thinking break |
| Expert | 30 × 16 | 99 | Confident clue readers |
| Daily | 12 × 12 | 24 | One shared daily puzzle |
Make a Custom game.
Choose Custom game above the board. Set 5–100 rows, 5–100 columns and your own mine count, or choose a preset from Mini to Maximum. Maximum has 100 × 100 squares, for 10,000 in total. Huge island has 60 × 60 squares and 400 mines. No-guess boards allow up to 22% mine density. Classic allows more mines while reserving a safe opening. Boards above 3,600 squares use Classic view. Save up to eight favorite setups on this device.
No flags adds a memory challenge with separate records. A board seed lets you repeat a puzzle with the same opening. Seeded, shared, imported and hand-designed games are practice. Share & save exports progress or copies a playable board link. The Board editor lets you place mines and check whether its layout can be solved using logic.
Try no-guess mode.
No-guess is enabled by default. The generator tests the board with a logical solver before you begin. From the opening square, you can clear the board using clues and deductions. Turn it off for classic random boards, where some positions can require a guess.
Play with a keyboard.
Tab into the game board. Arrow keys move between squares. Enter reveals a square or chords a number. F flags a square; Space flags a covered square or chords a revealed clue. You can also hover a square and press Space. Tab leaves the board. P pauses, N starts a new game outside form fields, and F2 starts a new game. Settings lets you choose single-click, double-click or middle-click chording, or disable it.
Learn one move at a time.
If you get stuck, a hint highlights a logical move and explains why it works. Hints assume your existing flags are correct. Using a hint marks the round as assisted, so it does not set a personal best or extend a daily streak.
Try the interactive tutorial, then explore a few useful Minesweeper patterns.