About Minesweeper
Curt Johnson and Robert Donner wrote Minesweeper for the OS/2 release of Microsoft Entertainment Pack 4 in 1990. Microsoft bundled it with Windows 3.1 in 1992 — at one point in the late '90s it was one of the most-played pieces of software on earth, simply by being there. The 'first click is always safe' rule was added because the original was felt to be cruel.
How to play
- Click
- Reveal a cell
- Right-click
- Flag a cell as a mine
- Long-press (touch)
- Flag a cell as a mine
- Tap a revealed number
- Chord — open its neighbours once its mines are flagged
Tips
- Don't guess until you have to. Every cell whose value matches its already-flagged neighbours has zero hidden mines around it — its remaining unrevealed neighbours are safe.
- When you're stuck, look at the edge of the revealed area, not the center. Constraints stack up at the boundary.
- Chord to sweep fast: once a revealed number already has exactly its mines flagged, tap it to open all its other neighbours at once.
- Sub-minute on this 7×7 board is a genuinely strong clear. Minesweeper world records on the big boards are well under 40 seconds.
- Challenge a friend to a duel — you both sweep the identical minefield (start from the centre, it's always safe) and the faster clean clear wins.