Minesweeper is a logic game played on a grid of hidden squares, some of which contain mines. Reveal every square that is safe without uncovering a mine. Each number you uncover tells you how many mines touch that square, including diagonally, and those numbers are all you need to work out where the mines are. Your first click on Gamdie is always safe and always opens up an area to start from.
How to play
- Pick a level and click any square to start.
- Numbers show how many of the eight surrounding squares hide a mine. Empty squares have no neighbouring mines and open their surroundings automatically.
- When you are sure a square is a mine, mark it with a flag so you do not click it by accident.
- Reveal every safe square to win. Uncovering a mine ends the game.
Controls
- Reveal: left-click or tap.
- Flag: right-click, long-press on a touch screen, or switch on Flag mode and tap.
- Clear around a number (chording): click a revealed number once it has the right number of flags around it, and all its other neighbours are revealed at once.
- Keyboard: arrow keys move between squares, Enter or Space reveals, F places a flag.
Difficulty levels
- Beginner: 9×9 grid with 10 mines.
- Intermediate: 16×16 grid with 40 mines.
- Expert: 16×30 grid with 99 mines. On narrow screens the board is turned upright so it fits a phone.
These are the long-standing classic sizes, so your times are comparable with how most people play the game.
Patterns that solve most boards
A number that equals its hidden neighbours
If a 3 has exactly three hidden squares around it, all three are mines. This is the first thing to look for after every opening.
A number that is already satisfied
If a 2 already has two flags next to it, every other hidden square around it is safe. Chording clears them in one click.
The 1-1 pattern
Two 1s side by side along a straight edge of hidden squares, with the first 1 at a corner or wall, share their mine within the first two hidden squares. That means the third hidden square, next to the second 1, is safe.
The 1-2-1 pattern
When 1, 2, 1 runs along a straight edge of hidden squares, the mines sit next to the two 1s and the square next to the 2 is safe.
The 1-2-2-1 pattern
Along a straight edge, 1, 2, 2, 1 means the two squares next to the 2s are mines and the squares next to the 1s are safe.
When logic runs out
Occasionally, especially on expert, the numbers do not decide a square and you have to guess. When that happens, guess early rather than late, and prefer squares near the edges with the fewest unknown neighbours.
Common mistakes
- Flagging on a hunch. A wrong flag misleads every number around it. Only flag what the numbers prove.
- Chording with a wrong flag. Chording trusts your flags, so one mistake there reveals a mine.
- Racing on expert. Speed comes from recognising patterns, not clicking faster. Start slowly.
Where Minesweeper comes from
Mine-finding games existed on home computers in the early 1980s, but the version most people know was written by Curt Johnson and Robert Donner and released by Microsoft in 1990 in the Windows Entertainment Pack, before being bundled with Windows itself. The Minesweeper on Gamdie is our own implementation, with touch controls, a guaranteed safe opening and saved best times.
Frequently asked questions
Is this Minesweeper free?
Yes, and it runs in your browser with nothing to install.
Can my first click hit a mine?
No. Mines are placed after your first click, away from that square and its neighbours, so you always start with an opening.
How do I place a flag on my phone?
Press and hold a square for about half a second, or turn on Flag mode so a normal tap places a flag.
Is every game winnable without guessing?
Not always. Some layouts leave a square that logic cannot decide. Good pattern reading makes these rare.
