What do the numbers mean in Minesweeper?

Each number counts the mines in the eight squares immediately surrounding it. A 3 means exactly three of its neighbours are mines, and the rest are safe.

Is the first click ever a mine?

No. The first click is guaranteed safe, and the board is arranged around it, which is why the opening move can be made anywhere without risk.

Do you have to guess in Minesweeper?

Usually not. Most positions resolve by logic alone, though some boards do produce genuine fifty-fifty situations late on where no deduction is available.

Minesweeper — Classic Logic Puzzle

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Minesweeper

💣 Classic puzzle game - find all mines!

👆 Click to reveal a cell

🚩 Right-click/Long-press to flag mines

🔢 Numbers show nearby mine count

✨ Reveal all safe cells to win

💥 Hit a mine and it's game over!

Minesweeper hides mines across a grid. Clicking a safe square reveals a number telling you how many mines touch it, and from those numbers you deduce where the mines must be.

The opening click is luck. Everything after that is logic, and a well-played game involves almost no guessing at all.

How to play

Click any square to begin. The first click is always safe.
Read the revealed numbers: each says how many mines sit in the eight surrounding squares.
Flag squares you have deduced contain mines, so you do not click them by accident.
Clear every safe square to win. Clicking a mine ends the game.

Deduction patterns

When a number equals the count of unopened squares around it, every one of those squares is a mine. Flag them all.
When a number already has that many flags around it, every remaining neighbour is safe and can be opened.
Learn the 1-2-1 pattern along an edge. It resolves to mine, safe, mine every time and appears constantly.
Work the borders of open areas, where numbers overlap and constrain each other. Isolated squares in the middle of unknown territory rarely yield anything.
Compare adjacent numbers. A 1 next to a 2 sharing squares often pins down exactly which shared square holds the mine.

Frequently asked questions

What do the numbers mean in Minesweeper?: Each number counts the mines in the eight squares immediately surrounding it. A 3 means exactly three of its neighbours are mines, and the rest are safe.
Is the first click ever a mine?: No. The first click is guaranteed safe, and the board is arranged around it, which is why the opening move can be made anywhere without risk.
Do you have to guess in Minesweeper?: Usually not. Most positions resolve by logic alone, though some boards do produce genuine fifty-fifty situations late on where no deduction is available.