Q&A for How to Play Minesweeper

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  • Question
    How do I place a flag on a touchscreen device?
    Community Answer
    In most mobile games, press and hold a square to flag it. Flags are only to show where you think a mine is.
  • Question
    What does the smiley face mean in the old versions of Minesweeper?
    Community Answer
    It is the reset button for when you lose. After you lose from a mine, click on the smiley face to clear the game and restart.
  • Question
    How do I play the same game again?
    Community Answer
    You cannot do this with traditional Minesweeper. However, the Windows 10 Store edition has a "Play Same Board" option which will let you do just that.
  • Question
    What does the word 'flag' mean in the top right hand corner?
    Community Answer
    It means that you can 'flag' a particular box if you think it may contain a mine. It is only for your utility, so you know not to click on that box.
  • Question
    What does pressing a number do?
    Technist
    Community Answer
    On some interfaces, pressing a number can open up the remaining cells surrounding the number. This only works when enough cells surrounding the number have been flagged though.
  • Question
    I already found all of the mines in the game, but how do I win?
    Technist
    Community Answer
    Generally, you win by opening up all the non-mine squares/cells (i.e. all the cells that are blank or contain a number).
  • Question
    How can I play without a mouse?
    Community Answer
    If you are on a laptop, you can use the trackpad. If your device has a touchscreen, then simply touching the screen will let you play without a mouse.
  • Question
    How can I know if a mine is in a square?
    Kamanyawa ezekiel sinulinga
    Community Answer
    The first click will never have a mine. You can't guarantee for others but the squares around are hints. Look at steps 3 and 4 to know more.
  • Question
    I play this game and it seems like the numbers mean nothing. There will be a 4 and yet no bombs are touching it when I lose. What should I do?
    Arrogance
    Top Answerer
    If that's what is really happening, then you would need to file a bug report. Most likely, though, you've simply forgotten that mines that are diagonal are also touching.
  • Question
    What does the red square with a flag on it mean when I lose a game of Minesweeper?
    Cprocketfuel
    Community Answer
    It means the area where you placed the flag did not contain a mine. Make sure you are certain there is a mine in the area you are flagging.
  • Question
    How can I beat Minesweeper in Google?
    Community Answer
    It's the same, except you can't put question marks. Try starting with Easy mode first.
  • Question
    How do I start a game? And how do I finish it?
    Community Answer
    To start it, click the face. To finish it, make sure the board is fully covered.
  • Question
    Can I play minesweeper offline?
    Community Answer
    Yes, you can download it to your phone or tablet using the appropriate app store. If you're on PC or Mac, you can find several places to download it for free online; just be sure to do so from a safe site.
  • Question
    How do I play it on Google?
    Community Answer
    Search for "minesweeper online". You'll find several browser-capable versions.
  • Question
    Can I create an automated bot for Minesweeper?
    Community Answer
    Code Bullet on YouTube did it; he created a AI capable of solving it really fast. It's actually the best player you can imagine.
  • Question
    How do I know where the bombs are when playing Minesweeper?
    Community Answer
    First, check the numbers with the exact same amount of "Blue Squares" (Squares that are not clicked nor explored) that are around it as the number, this can mean all of the unexplored squares around it has a mine; Second, numbers that are already has the number that is shown by the number of known mines around it can mean all of the other squares around it are clear; If you cannot follow these rules, this can be a environment that you must guess where the mine is, but you will have to keep thinking, because you have clues like the numbers and known mines in the earlier games.
  • Question
    Do the numbers involve squares touching diagonally?
    Aasim
    Top Answerer
    Yes. Any square with a number can have mines touching it. The number indicates how many mines are touching directly in all directions: diagonally, vertically, and horizontally.
  • Question
    Do I ever need to guess when playing Minesweeper?
    Pingu
    Top Answerer
    This can happen, but rarely. It's more likely that you can deduce where mines and empty fields are, but not see them. Try clearing or marking all fields where you know for sure whether there is a mine. This may give you the necessary clues.
  • Question
    How can I play Minesweeper on a phone?
    Pingu
    Top Answerer
    You need to install a Minesweeper app. There are many of them, and they usually have the word Minesweeper in the name. Search the Android or iOS app store. Once installed, play like you would on a computer, as explained in Part 1 and Part 3. The only difference is that you can't right-click on a mobile device to place a flag. Instead, you usually have to touch the field for a longer time and then let go. Also, mobile Minesweeper apps sometimes allow you to zoom in and out. Do this by placing two fingers on the screen and dragging them towards or away from each other.
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