The goal
Reveal every cell that does not hide a mine. You do not have to find the mines themselves: the game is won as soon as the last safe cell is revealed, and lost the moment you reveal a mine (do you have to flag every mine).
The board and the mines
Every cell starts hidden. Pick a size before you start:
- Beginner: 9×9 with 10 mines.
- Intermediate: 16×16 with 40 mines.
- Expert: 16×30 with 99 mines.
More about the three boards, including how many safe cells each has, is in how many mines are on each board.
Your first click
Your first click is never a mine, and the mines are kept off the cells around it too. That first click always opens a blank area, so you start with numbers to read (is the first click ever a mine).
The Daily Minesweeper is the same field for everyone, so it opens with a blank area already revealed instead.
What the numbers mean
A revealed cell shows how many of the cells touching it hide a mine. Cells touch in all eight directions, diagonals included, so a number runs from 1 to 8.
Example: a 2 on the top edge has five neighbors. Exactly two of those five are mines, so if you already know about one, there is one left to find among the rest. See what the numbers mean.
A cell with no number is blank: none of its neighbors is a mine, so the game reveals them for you and keeps going until it reaches numbers (what happens when you click a blank cell).
Flags and the mine counter
Right-click a hidden cell on a computer, or long-press it on a phone or tablet, to flag it as a suspected mine. Do it again to remove the flag. A flagged cell cannot be revealed until you remove the flag (how to flag a mine).
The counter shows the number of mines minus the flags you have placed. It tracks your flags and does not know whether they are correct (what the mine counter shows).
Winning and losing
- You win when every safe cell has been revealed. Flags make no difference.
- You lose when you reveal a mine. The mines are then shown on the board.
A win can post a time to the weekly fastest-time leaderboard for the size you played.
Putting the rules to work
The rules are short, but reading the numbers well is a skill. The Minesweeper tips guide covers the patterns that solve most boards without guessing, or play Minesweeper free and start on Beginner.
Minesweeper rules questions
Is the first click in Minesweeper ever a mine?
No. Your first click is never a mine, and the cells touching it are mine-free too, so the first click always opens an area for you to work from.
Read the full answer →What do the numbers in Minesweeper mean?
A number shows how many of the cells touching that square hide a mine, diagonals included. A blank square touches no mines at all.
Read the full answer →Do you have to flag every mine to win Minesweeper?
No. You win by revealing every safe cell. Flags are only notes for yourself and make no difference to whether the game counts as won.
Read the full answer →How do you flag a mine in Minesweeper?
Right-click a cell on a computer, or long-press it on a phone or tablet. Do the same again to remove the flag. A flagged cell cannot be revealed.
Read the full answer →How many mines are on each Minesweeper board?
Beginner is 9×9 with 10 mines, Intermediate is 16×16 with 40 mines, and Expert is 16×30 with 99 mines. Each has its own weekly leaderboard.
Read the full answer →What happens when you click a blank cell in Minesweeper?
A blank cell touches no mines, so the game opens all eight neighbors for you and keeps opening any new blank cells it finds until numbers stop it.
Read the full answer →What does the mine counter in Minesweeper show?
It shows the total number of mines minus the flags you have placed. It tracks your own flags and is not proof that they are in the right places.
Read the full answer →Play Minesweeper free →Your game is saved in this browser. No sign-up.