How to Play Classic Windows 98 Minesweeper
Minesweeper is the legendary 90s puzzle game of deductive reasoning. Clear the board without detonating any hidden landmines!
1. Basic Rules
The number inside a revealed square indicates how many mines are hiding in the adjacent 8 surrounding squares.
Right-click (or long press on mobile) to place a flag on squares you suspect contain a mine to protect them from clicks.
Once you flag all mines around a number, click it again or double-click to instantly reveal all remaining unflagged neighbor cells!
2. Essential Patterns (1-1 and 1-2 Tactics)
The 1-1 Pattern
When two neighboring 1s share an edge, and the mine zone of the inner 1 is completely contained within the outer 1, any extra squares outside that shared zone are 100% guaranteed to be safe!
The 1-2 Pattern (1-2-1)
Along a flat wall, a 1-2 combination forces the mine for the 2 into the third square. In a 1-2-1 sequence, the mines are always located directly beneath the 1s, and the cell beneath the 2 is safe!
Stuck on a tricky board? Click the 💡 Hint button in the game menu at any time. Our solver engine analyzes mathematical subset equations to highlight verified safe moves and tell you the exact deductive reasoning behind each play!