Play Minesweeper Online
Open every square that isn't a mine. The numbers tell you how many mines are touching each square, and with a bit of careful counting you can work out where every one of them is hiding.
This is the classic game, free in your browser. Pick a board below, or just start clicking. Your first click is always safe. When you want something different, there's a new daily board every day, a No guess mode where logic always wins, and custom boards up to 100 × 100.
Choose a board
How to play
The board starts covered. Click a square to open it. If it's safe, you'll see a number or an empty space. An empty square has no mines next to it, so the game opens the squares around it for you, often clearing a big patch in one go.
A number is the count of mines in the eight squares around it. A 1 means exactly one of them is a mine. A 3 means three are.
When you're sure a square is a mine, flag it with a right-click, or press and hold on a phone. Once a number has all its flags, click the number to open the rest of its neighbours in one go. Clear every safe square and you win.
There's more detail, with worked examples, in the full guide.
The patterns that do most of the work
Good players don't think harder than anyone else. They recognise a few shapes instantly. The best known is the 1-2-1: three numbers in a row along a straight edge, where the mines sit next to the 1s and the square next to the 2 is safe.
The patterns page covers eight of these, from the simple 1-1 to the 1-2-2-1, with practice puzzles you can try right on the page. The strategy page covers the rest: chording, using the mine count, and how to guess well when you have to.
The levels
Beginner, Intermediate and Expert are the three sizes from the original Windows game, and most players still use them to compare times. They are sometimes called Easy, Medium and Hard. Master is our own addition for anyone who wants a bigger, more crowded board.
| Level | Board | Mines | Density | Needs a guess |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 9 × 9 | 10 | 12% | About 1 in 6 |
| Intermediate | 16 × 16 | 40 | 16% | About 4 in 10 |
| Expert | 30 × 16 | 99 | 21% | Most boards |
| Master | 30 × 24 | 200 | 28% | Almost all |
Density is the share of squares hiding a mine. The last column comes from 20,000 boards per level, each started with a click in the middle and played by the same solver that checks No guess boards. It sticks to the standard deductions, so a perfect solver would need a guess a little less often. Either way, the jump from Intermediate to Expert is bigger than it looks. If you'd rather never guess, No guess mode only deals boards you can clear by logic.
More ways to play
- Daily Minesweeper. One new board every day, the same for everyone. It can always be solved by logic, so times are worth comparing. Keep a streak and share your result.
- No guess. Every board can be cleared from your first click without a single 50/50, in Beginner, Intermediate or Expert size.
- Custom. Choose the width, height and number of mines, from a quick 5 × 5 to a huge 100 × 100.
Why play here
- A safe start, every time. Mines are placed after your first click, and the square you click plus the eight around it are kept clear, so you always begin with an opening.
- Nothing to install, no account. It runs in your browser on a computer, tablet or phone, and your best times are saved on your device.
- Made for phones too. Press and hold to flag, or switch on Flag mode. Wide boards turn sideways to fit a tall screen.
- Hints when you're stuck. The Hint button shows a square that's certain from what's on the board, or tells you when it can't find one.
- Eleven board designs and calm music. Pick a look you like and a soundtrack to think to. The music keeps playing as you move between boards.
Controls
| To do this | On a computer | On a phone |
|---|---|---|
| Open a square | Click | Tap |
| Place or remove a flag | Right-click, or Space | Press and hold, or Flag mode |
| Open around a number | Click the number, or Space | Tap the number |
| Move around the board | Arrow keys, then Enter to open, F to flag | - |
| New game | N or F2, or click the face | Tap the face |
| Get a hint | H | The Hint button |
More touch tips are in playing Minesweeper on a phone.
Questions people ask
How do you play Minesweeper?
Click a square to open it. A number tells you how many mines touch that square, counting all eight around it. Use the numbers to work out where the mines are, flag them, and open every other square to win.
Can my first click hit a mine?
No. The mines are placed after your first click, and the square you click plus the eight around it are always kept clear, so you start with an open patch to work from.
How do I place a flag?
Right-click a square on a computer. On a phone or tablet, press and hold a square, or switch on Flag mode so every tap places a flag.
What is chording?
When a number already has that many flags around it, click the number itself. Every other square around it opens at once. It saves a lot of clicks on big boards.
Do I need to flag every mine to win?
No. You win as soon as every safe square is open. Flags are there to help you keep track.
What do the numbers mean in Minesweeper?
Each number shows how many mines touch that square, counting all eight squares around it, including the diagonals. A 2 means exactly two of its neighbours are mines.
Is Minesweeper luck or skill?
Mostly skill. Nearly every move can be worked out from the numbers. Some boards on the classic levels do reach a spot where you have to guess, more often on Expert than Beginner, but good players need far fewer guesses because they see more of the logic.
Can every Minesweeper board be solved without guessing?
No. On the classic levels some boards need a guess at some point. In No guess mode, and on the daily board, every board is checked before you play, so it can always be cleared by logic.
What is a good time on Expert?
Finishing Expert at all is an achievement, since many boards need a guess. Under three minutes is a solid time, under a minute and a half is fast, and the best players in the world finish in well under a minute.
Is there a daily Minesweeper?
Yes. Daily Minesweeper has one new board each day, the same for everyone. It can always be solved by logic, and it keeps track of your streak.
Is it free?
Yes. Every level is free to play in your browser, with no account and nothing to install.
