The Classic Minesweeper

How to play

Clear the field without setting off a mine. A number tells you how many of the eight neighbouring squares hold a mine.

• Left click uncovers a square.
• Right click plants a flag, and with Marks (?) on, a second right click leaves a question mark.
• Both buttons (or the middle button) on a number whose flags are all planted uncovers the squares around it.
• Touch: tap to uncover, long-press to flag, tap a number to clear around it.

The first square you uncover is never a mine. The clock starts on that click and stops at 999.

Menu commands

• New (F2) — start another game at the current level.
• Beginner / Intermediate / Expert — 9×9 with 10 mines, 16×16 with 40, 30×16 with 99.
• Custom... — any field from 9×9 up to 30×24. Custom games are not timed for records.
• Marks (?) — allow question marks as a second right click.
• Color — turn off for a black and white field.
• Sound — the tick, the explosion and the winning tune.
• Best Times... — the fastest time for each level.
• Exit — close the window; the desktop icon brings it back.

Best times

Each level keeps one record. Beat it and Minesweeper asks for your name, then shows the Fastest Mine Sweepers list.

Reset Scores puts all three back to 999 seconds for Anonymous.

Times are kept in this browser only, so a different browser or a cleared history starts over. Custom games never set a record.

Statistics counts a game once it ends, won or lost. Starting a new game before the end counts as nothing, so a field you walk away from costs you no streak. Custom fields are left out: their sizes are not comparable.

Using Help

Pick a topic on the left to read it here. F1 opens this window at any time and Esc closes it.

The menus can be opened with Alt+G and Alt+H, then walked with the arrow keys.