How to Play Minesweeper: Rules and Beginner’s Guide

How to play Minesweeper in short

To play Minesweeper, open tiles on a grid without hitting a mine. Each number tells you how many mines touch that tile. Use the numbers to find safe tiles, flag the mines, and open every safe tile to win.

• Goal: open every tile that is not a mine.
• Lose: if you open a mine.
• Numbers: each one counts the mines in the surrounding tiles.
• Flags: mark the tiles you know are mines.

Last updated: November 7, 2026

What is Minesweeper?

Minesweeper is a single-player logic puzzle. A grid of covered tiles hides a set number of mines. You uncover the tiles one at a time.

Every number you uncover is a clue. The clues help you deduce where the mines are. Logic matters most, although some boards need a guess.

Minesweeper rules

• Open every safe tile. You win when all tiles that are not mines are open.
• Avoid the mines. Opening a mine ends the game.
• Numbers are clues. A number shows how many of the up to eight neighboring tiles are mines. Diagonal neighbors count.
• Blank tiles open more tiles. A blank tile has no mines around it, so the game opens its neighbors for you. This can clear a large area at once.
• Flags are optional. A flag marks a tile you think is a mine. Flags help you keep track and stop accidental taps, but you do not need them to win.
• The timer counts your speed. It runs from your first move until you win or lose.
• Your first tile is safe in this game.

What the numbers mean

A number counts the mines in the tiles around it, up to eight. A 1 means one of them is a mine. A 3 means three are. An 8 means every surrounding tile is a mine.

Tiles on an edge have five neighbors. Corner tiles have only three. Their numbers are often the easiest to solve.

Want more detail? Learn what each Minesweeper number means.

How to play step by step

1. Pick Easy. It is a 9 × 9 grid with 10 mines, the best size to learn on.
2. Open any tile. Your first tile is safe.
3. Read the numbers. Look for a number with only a few hidden tiles next to it.
4. Find the mines. Subtract the flags already next to a number. If the mines still missing equal the covered, unflagged tiles next to it, all of those tiles are mines. A 1 with one covered neighbor means that neighbor is a mine. Flag it.
5. Open the safe tiles. If a number equals the flags next to it, every other covered neighbor is safe. Open them.
6. Work outward. Each new tile gives you new clues. Repeat steps 3 to 5.
7. Win. When every safe tile is open, the board is clear and the timer stops.

Working out the remaining mines

A number is the total mines around a tile, not the number you still have to find. Subtract the mines you have already identified and flagged to work out how many remain among its other covered neighbors. These rules assume your flags are correct.

For example, a 3 with two flags next to it has one mine left to find among its other covered neighbors.

• Rule 1. If the mines still missing equal the covered, unflagged tiles next to the number, all of those tiles are mines. Flag them.
• Rule 2. If no mines are missing, because the number equals the flags next to it, every other covered tile next to it is safe. Open them.

These two rules are the basis for everything else in this guide.

Controls

How chording works

Chording opens all the tiles around a number in one tap. When a 2 has exactly two flags next to it, tap the 2. The game opens every other covered neighbor at once.

Only chord when you are sure the flags are correct. If a flag is wrong, chording opens a real mine and the game ends.

Beginner strategy

• Start with the easy numbers. Pick the numbers with the fewest hidden neighbors first.
• Flag only what is proven. A wrong flag leads to wrong moves later.
• Chord to save taps. Once a number has its flags, one tap opens the rest around it.
• Learn the 1-2-1 pattern. Three numbers 1, 2, 1 in a row, where the only covered tiles touching them are the three directly beside them: the tiles beside the two 1s are mines and the tile beside the 2 is safe.
• Learn the 1-2-2-1 pattern. Four numbers 1, 2, 2, 1 in a row, where the only covered tiles touching them are the four directly beside them: the tiles beside the two 2s are mines and the tiles beside the two 1s are safe.
• Check the conditions. These patterns only work when every other tile touching the numbers is already open, or is a flagged mine you have subtracted from the numbers. If any other unresolved covered tile touches them, the pattern alone does not tell you which tiles are safe.
• Guess last, and guess smart. When logic runs out, compare your options and pick the lowest chance. A 1 with three covered neighbors and no flags around it puts about a one-in-three chance on each of them. A tile that no number touches can be estimated from the overall mine density: divide the mines left by the covered tiles left. That is only a baseline, because clues elsewhere on the board can change the real odds.

Difficulty levels

Choose from three difficulty levels on this site. Each one increases the board size and the number of mines.

Stay on Easy until you can clear a board without guessing. Then move up.

Other versions of Minesweeper use different sizes. The classic Windows game, for example, uses 9 × 9 with 10 mines, 16 × 16 with 40 and 16 × 30 with 99.

Common beginner mistakes

• Forgetting the diagonals. A number counts all eight surrounding tiles, not just four.
• Flagging on a hunch. Flag only when the numbers prove a mine.
• Chording with a wrong flag. One bad flag makes chording open a mine.
• Guessing too early. Check every number on the board before you guess.
• Rushing. Speed comes from knowing the patterns, not from tapping faster.

Minesweeper FAQ

How do you play Minesweeper?

Open tiles on a grid without hitting a mine. Each number shows how many of the surrounding tiles are mines. Use the numbers to work out which hidden tiles are safe, flag the mines, and open every safe tile to win.

How do you win Minesweeper?

You win by opening every tile that does not hide a mine. You do not have to flag all the mines. The timer stops as soon as the last safe tile is open.

What do the numbers in Minesweeper mean?

A number counts the mines in the tiles touching it, up to eight, including diagonals. A 1 means one neighboring mine, a 2 means two, and so on. Tiles on an edge have five neighbors and corner tiles have three.

What does a blank tile mean in Minesweeper?

A blank tile has no mines around it. The game opens all of its neighbors automatically, which can uncover a large area at once.

What should I do first in Minesweeper?

Open any tile to begin. In this game your first tile is always safe. Then look for a number with only a few hidden neighbors, because those are the easiest to solve.

Is the first click in Minesweeper safe?

In this game, yes. If your first tile would have been a mine, the game moves that mine to another tile. Other versions of Minesweeper may work differently.

How do I flag a mine in Minesweeper?

On a computer, right-click a tile or press F. On a phone or tablet, switch on Flag mode under the board and tap the tile. Tap a flagged tile again to remove the flag.

Do you have to guess in Minesweeper?

Sometimes. Boards are random, and not every board can be solved by logic alone. When you are stuck, pick the hidden tile with the lowest chance of being a mine, or use a hint.

What is the best difficulty for beginners?

Start on Easy, which on this site is a 9 × 9 grid with 10 mines. When you can clear it without guessing, move up to Medium (12 × 16 with 30 mines) and then Hard (14 × 24 with 55 mines). Other versions of Minesweeper use different board sizes.

Can I play Minesweeper on my phone?

Yes. This game runs in your phone’s browser with no download or account. Tap to open tiles and use Flag mode to place flags. Medium and Hard boards scroll sideways on small screens.