Minesweeper FAQ
Short answers to the questions players ask most often. If your question is not here, the contact page is one click away.
Is Minesweeper free to play here?
Yes. Every board on this site is free, with no account, no download and no play limit. The game runs entirely in your browser.
Do I need to install anything or sign up?
No. There is nothing to install and no registration. Open the page, pick a board and play. Your best times are stored locally in your own browser, so there is no account to create.
What does the first click always safe rule mean?
On this site the mines are not placed until after your first click, and the eight tiles surrounding it are excluded. Your opening move can never lose, which also guarantees you start with useful information instead of an instant loss.
What do the numbers on the board mean?
A number tells you exactly how many mines are in the eight tiles touching that tile, diagonals included. A 3 means three mines. A blank tile means zero, so the game opens the surrounding area for you automatically.
How do I flag a mine on a phone or tablet?
Long press a tile for about half a second. You can also turn on Flag mode in the panel next to the board, which makes a normal tap place a flag instead of opening the tile. Tap the tile of an opened number to chord it.
What is chording?
Chording means clicking both mouse buttons at once on an opened number, or double-clicking it. If the number of flags around that tile matches its value, every remaining neighbour opens in a single move. It is the main reason experienced players are fast.
Can Minesweeper always be solved without guessing?
Not on the standard boards. Most positions resolve through logic, but expert boards of this size almost always contain at least one spot where no information separates two possibilities. Even world record holders lose those boards to a coin flip.
What are the standard board sizes?
Beginner is 9 x 9 with 10 mines, intermediate is 16 x 16 with 40 mines, and expert is 30 x 16 with 99 mines. This site also offers a custom board where you choose the width, height and mine count.
Why did my best time not save?
Best times are stored in your browser's local storage. If you are using private browsing, have storage disabled, or cleared your browsing data, the record is lost. Turning off cookies and site data blocking for this site fixes it.
Does the timer keep running if I leave the tab?
Yes. The timer runs on a fixed interval once the board starts, so switching tabs does not pause your game. If you want a clean time, finish or restart the board before you walk away.
Is Minesweeper the same game as Flower Field?
They are the same game with different artwork. Flower Field was a version of Minesweeper shipped in some regions with flowers in place of mines, following a 1999 campaign about the landmine theme. The rules are identical.
Can I play Minesweeper on the keyboard only?
Yes. Use the arrow keys to move around the board, Space or Enter to open a tile, F to place or remove a flag, and R to start a new game.
Still stuck?
If you have found a bug, spotted something wrong on this page, or just want to tell us what you think of the game, the contact page has the details. For anything to do with gameplay mechanics, the rules guide and the strategy guide cover it in much more depth than a short answer can.