Microsoft Minesweeper - Play Minesweeper Online

Ready to play Minesweeper online for free? Microsoft Minesweeper is a browser-based version of the classic minesweeper puzzle game. This game has been part of Windows for more than 20 years.

This game is part of the free online brain games collection.

To begin, click the Small, Medium, or Large button under the picture of the game. This opens the game in a pop-up window.

Instructions to this Play Minesweeper Online Game

If you like this game, you might also enjoy playing the classic Battleship game online.

This game includes three versions of difficulty - Easy, Medium, and Expert - and fun Daily Challenges.

This is the official game created by Microsoft Studios and is free-to-play online here.

For in-game instructions, see below as well as the How to Play ("?") section in the game.

HOW TO PLAY. The goal of this Minesweeper online game is to uncover the empty squares, while avoiding the mines, in the quickest time possible. You win if you uncover all the safe squares. You lose if you trigger even one mine.

Numbers. Each number shown in the minesweeper grid (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.) tells you how many mines touch that square. Use this information to deduce which adjacent squares are safe to uncover.

Counter Bar. The mine counter tells you how many mines are still hidden, and the timer keeps track of how many seconds it takes you to clear the board.

Microsoft Minesweeper - Controls

Uncovering Squares. Click on a square to uncover it. The first click is always safe.

Flags. Right-click a square you suspect contains a mine. If you suspect there might be a flag on a particular square, but you're not sure yet, right-click on the square twice. This places a question mark ("?") on that square.

Chord. If all the mines touching a number are flagged, you can double-click that number, press both mouse numbers, or press the mouse wheel on it to uncover the remaining adjacent squares.

Panning. Click and drag the mouse to scroll across the board in any direction.

Zooming. Use the mouse wheel to zoom in and out.

Microsoft Minesweeper - Tips

Explore the Unexplored. Not sure where to click next? Try uncovering some unexplored territory.

You're better off clicking in the middle of unmarked squares than in an area you suspect is mined.

Mark the Obvious. If a number "1" touches only one square, it must be a mine. If a "2" touches only two squares, they must both be mines. And so on.

Pattern 1-2-1. You can mark two mines with certainty if you see a 1-2-1 pattern in a straight line (they're in the squares beside the 1's).

Pattern 1-2-2-1. You can mark two mines with certainty if you see a 1-2-2-1 pattern in a straight line (they're in the squares beside the 2's.

The Minesweeper Game and Its Significance

Minesweeper is a logic puzzle video game genre generally played on personal computers¹. The game features a grid of clickable squares, with hidden "mines" scattered throughout the board. The objective is to clear the board without detonating any mines, with help from clues about the number of neighboring mines in each field¹.

The origin of Minesweeper is unclear. Some sources suggest that the first version of the game was 1990's Microsoft Minesweeper¹, while others trace its origins back to the 1960s, when a similar game called "Cube" was developed for the IBM 1130 computer². However, it's widely acknowledged that Minesweeper gained a lot of inspiration from a "lesser known, tightly designed game", Mined-Out by Ian Andrew for the ZX Spectrum in 1983¹.

The significance of Minesweeper lies in its simplicity and universal appeal. It has been included with many operating systems throughout the years³, and its popularity soared when it was included with the Windows operating system in all versions from 3.1 to Windows 7³. This simple yet challenging game has been a staple of computer gaming for decades, providing countless hours of entertainment and mental exercise for players around the world.

Sources:
(1) Minesweeper (video game) - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minesweeper_%28video_game%29
(2) Retro Minesweeper - Play Microsoft Minesweeper online. https://mineswpr.com/
(3) Minesweeper | Play it online - CardGames.io. https://cardgames.io/minesweeper/.
(4) The most successful game ever: a history of Minesweeper. https://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/the-most-successful-game-ever-a-history-of-minesweeper-596504

Puzzle games like Microsoft Minesweeper train important brain skills including problem solving, thinking speed, and mental flexibility. Play Minesweeper online often to give your brain a boost!

Published: 04/24/21
Last Updated: 09/18/23