Classic minesweeper, playable anywhere
This is the minesweeper you remember: a grid of hidden cells, some of them mines, and numbers that tell you how many mines touch each revealed cell. Use the numbers to deduce where the mines are, flag them, and open every safe cell to win. The three standard boards are here — beginner 9 × 9 with 10 mines, intermediate 16 × 16 with 40 and expert 30 × 16 with 99 — plus a custom board up to 40 × 30.
It plays well on touch screens, which the original never did. Long-press a cell or switch on Flag mode to place flags, the cells grow to 44 px on phones and tablets, and wide boards scroll inside their frame rather than breaking the page. On a computer the familiar right-click flag and number-chording work exactly as expected.
There is no app to install and nothing is sent anywhere; best times are kept in your browser only.
How to use the Minesweeper
- Pick a level. Beginner, Intermediate and Expert use the classic sizes; Custom lets you set the width, height and mine count, then press Apply.
- Click or tap any cell to start. The first click is always safe and opens a clear area, and the timer begins at that moment.
- Read the numbers: a 3 means exactly three of the eight surrounding cells hide mines. Flag cells you are sure about with a right-click, a long-press, the F key, or by turning on Flag mode and tapping.
- Speed things up with chording: once the flags around a number equal that number, click the number to reveal all its other neighbours at once.
- Open every safe cell and the board is cleared. Press the face or New game to play again; your fastest time per level appears under Best.
Minesweeper features
Safe first click
Mines are placed only after your first click and never in that cell or its eight neighbours (unless the board is too crowded for that), so every game opens with usable information.
Four ways to flag
Right-click, long-press on touch screens, the F key, or a Flag mode toggle for one-handed phone play. A flagged cell cannot be opened by accident.
Chording
Clicking an open number whose flags are complete reveals its remaining neighbours — the technique experts use to clear boards in under a minute.
Classic and custom boards
The three standard levels plus any board from 5 × 5 up to 40 × 30 with as many mines as fit. Custom games are unlimited but do not record best times.
Timer and best times
The clock starts on the first click and stops on the last reveal; your best time for each standard level is saved on this device.
Keyboard play
Move with the arrow keys, open with Enter or Space, flag with F. Every cell has a screen-reader label describing its row, column and state.
How to read the numbers
Every number counts the mines in the up-to-eight cells around it — diagonals included. Three patterns solve most of a board:
- A number touching exactly that many hidden cells: they are all mines. A 1 in a corner with one hidden neighbour means that neighbour is a mine.
- A number whose flags are already complete: every other hidden neighbour is safe, which is exactly when chording is useful.
- 1-2-1 along a wall: the mines sit under the two 1s, and the cell under the 2 is safe. The similar 1-2-2-1 pattern puts the mines under the two 2s.
- When two numbers share hidden cells, subtract: if a 1 and a 2 overlap on two cells and the 2 has one extra hidden cell, that extra cell is a mine.
Board sizes and mine density
Density is what makes expert hard: at one mine in five cells, guesses become unavoidable in some corners. If you want to practise logic without the luck, set a custom 20 × 20 board with around 50 mines (12.5%). The probability calculator can tell you the odds of a blind guess surviving a given density, which is a sobering exercise.
| Level | Board | Mines | Density | Typical clear time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 9 × 9 | 10 | 12.3% | 10–60 s |
| Intermediate | 16 × 16 | 40 | 15.6% | 1–4 min |
| Expert | 30 × 16 | 99 | 20.6% | 3–10 min |
| Custom | 5 × 5 to 40 × 30 | 1 to cells − 10 | your choice | — |
Touch controls explained
On a phone or tablet, a tap reveals and a long-press of about half a second places or removes a flag, with a tiny vibration where the device supports it. If you prefer, tap Flag mode: while it is highlighted, every tap flags instead of revealing, and tapping an open number still chords. Choose Large under Cell size if the default feels cramped. Other short puzzles on this site include the 2048 game and the memory card game.
Minesweeper FAQ
Is this minesweeper free to play online?
Yes. It is free, there are no accounts or downloads, and it works in any modern browser including on phones.
Can my first click hit a mine?
No. Mines are placed after the first click and avoid that cell and its neighbours, so the opening click is always safe and usually opens an area.
How do I place a flag on a phone?
Press and hold a cell for about half a second, or tap Flag mode and then tap cells. Tap Flag mode again to go back to revealing.
What is chording in minesweeper?
Clicking (or right-clicking) an already-open number when the correct number of flags surrounds it. All remaining neighbours are opened at once. If one of your flags is wrong you will hit a mine, so chord only when you are sure.
Why does the expert board scroll sideways?
An expert board is 30 cells wide, which is wider than most phone screens. The board scrolls inside its own frame so the rest of the page stays put; choose Small under Cell size to see more at once.
Are best times saved for custom boards?
No — only the three standard levels record best times, because custom boards are not comparable with each other. Standard-level times are stored in your browser and can be cleared with one click.