What Do the Numbers Mean in Minesweeper

What do the numbers mean in Minesweeper?

Minesweeper numbers show how many of the tiles touching a tile are mines. A number counts the mines among up to eight surrounding tiles, including the diagonals. A 1 means one mine nearby, a 2 means two, and a blank tile means none.

  • Number: the count of mines around that tile.
  • Blank tile: no mines around it, so its neighbors open on their own.
  • Use: compare each number with the covered tiles around it to find safe tiles and mines.

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How the numbers work

Every number you uncover is a clue about the tiles around it. It counts the mines among its neighbors, up to eight: the tiles above, below, left and right, plus the diagonals.

The 3 touches three mines, shown in red. The other five neighbors are safe.

A number never tells you which neighbors are mines, only how many. You work out the rest by combining several numbers.

Tiles on an edge have five neighbors, and corner tiles have three. Their numbers can never be higher than 5 or 3, which often makes them easier to solve.

What each number means

Blank tileNo mines touch it. The game opens all its neighbors automatically, which can uncover a large area at once.
1Exactly one neighboring tile is a mine. You will see 1s most often, and they are the easiest clues to use.
2Two neighboring tiles are mines. Check the covered tiles around it, and count any flags you have placed.
3Three neighboring tiles are mines. Expect these where mines are packed close together.
4 to 8Four to eight neighboring tiles are mines. These are rare, and 7 and 8 are extremely rare. An 8 means every tile around it is a mine.

Why the numbers have colors

In this game, 1 is blue, 2 is green, 3 is red, 4 is purple, 5 is orange, 6 is cyan, 7 is yellow and 8 is white.

The colors only help you tell the numbers apart at a glance. They never change what a number means. Other versions of Minesweeper use different colors.

How to use the numbers to find 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 see how many remain among its other covered neighbors. These rules assume your flags are correct.

A flag is your own mark, not proof of a mine. If a flag is wrong, every deduction built on it can be wrong too.

How to read the diagrams

Covered tile Already open Flag Mine Safe tile

Dashed dark tiles are already open. Their own numbers are not shown.

Rule 1: all the covered tiles are mines

If the mines still missing equal the covered, unflagged tiles next to the number, every one of those tiles is a mine.

The 1 has only one covered neighbor, so that tile is a mine.

Rule 2: all the covered tiles are safe

If the number already equals the flags next to it, every other covered tile next to it is safe.

The 1 already has its flag, so the other two covered neighbors are safe.

Reading number patterns

Neighboring numbers share covered tiles, so you can compare them. A few combinations appear again and again, such as 1-2-1 and 1-2-2-1. They can reveal mines and safe tiles that no single number shows.

The basic idea is to compare two numbers that share covered tiles. When every covered tile around one number is also around another, the difference between the two numbers is the number of mines in the tiles only the bigger number touches.

For example, a 1 touches covered tiles X and Y, and the 2 beside it touches X, Y and Z. The 2 needs one more mine than the 1, so Z is a mine. This assumes no other covered tiles or flags are involved.

For the full rules and step-by-step examples, read our guide on how to play Minesweeper.

Common mistakes with numbers

  • Forgetting the diagonals. A number counts up to eight tiles, not four.
  • Reading the number as mines left to find. It is the total around the tile, flags included.
  • Not subtracting flags. Take off the mines you have already flagged before you count what remains.
  • Trusting a wrong flag. The numbers are always right. If they do not add up, check your flags.
  • Ignoring edges and corners. Those tiles have fewer neighbors, so their numbers give stronger clues.

Minesweeper numbers FAQ

What do the numbers mean in Minesweeper?

A number shows how many of the tiles touching it are mines. It counts the mines among up to eight surrounding tiles, diagonals included. A 1 means one mine nearby, a 2 means two, and so on.

Do the numbers in Minesweeper count diagonal tiles?

Yes. A number counts the mines among its surrounding tiles, up to eight: above, below, left, right and the four diagonals.

What does a blank tile mean in Minesweeper?

A blank tile has no mines around it, so the game opens all its neighbors automatically. This can uncover a large area at once.

What is the highest number in Minesweeper?

A tile can show at most 8, because it has at most eight neighbors. Tiles on an edge have five neighbors, so they show at most 5, and corner tiles show at most 3. Numbers above 4 are rare.

What does a 1 mean in Minesweeper?

Exactly one of the surrounding tiles is a mine. If all the other neighboring tiles are known safe or correctly flagged, the only remaining covered tile must be the mine.

Does a Minesweeper number include flagged tiles?

A number counts the real mines around a tile, whether or not you have flagged them. Flags are only your own marks, so subtract the correct ones to see how many mines remain.

Why are Minesweeper numbers different colors?

The colors help you tell the numbers apart at a glance. They do not change what a number means, and different versions of Minesweeper use different colors.

What should I do when a number equals the covered tiles around it?

If the mines still missing equal the covered, unflagged tiles next to the number, all of those tiles are mines. Flag them.

What should I do when a number already has all its flags?

Every other covered tile next to it is safe. Open them, or tap the number to open them all at once, which is called chording. Only do this if your flags are correct.

Can a Minesweeper number be wrong?

No. The numbers are always correct. If a number does not add up, one of your flags or deductions is wrong.

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