Minesweeper: The Logic Behind the Numbers
Most people learn Minesweeper by trial and error, clicking randomly until a mine ends the game, and eventually developing a vague sense of when a cell is safe. Real improvement comes from learning a handful of named deduction patterns.
The basics, stated precisely
Every revealed number tells you how many of its eight unrevealed neighbors contain mines. A 1 means exactly one of the adjacent unrevealed cells is a mine. A 2 means exactly two. And so on. The game is won when every non-mine cell has been revealed.
Pattern 1: The Single
If a 1 touches exactly one unrevealed cell, that cell is the mine. Flag it. Train yourself to scan every edge number and apply this rule first. You will flag a third of the mines on most boards just with Singles.
Pattern 2: The Satisfied Number
If a number already has all its mines accounted for by flags, every other unrevealed cell touching it is safe. Click them all.
Pattern 3: The 1-1 Edge
Two 1s side by side along an unrevealed edge often create a guaranteed safe cell. If the first 1 has three unrevealed neighbors and the second 1 shares two of them, then the second 1's mine must be in one of those shared cells, which means the third cell (unique to the first 1) is safe.
The 1-1 edge pattern is the single most useful deduction beyond the basics. Learn to spot it and you will rarely have to guess until very late.
Pattern 4: The 1-2 Edge
Similar but with a 1 next to a 2. If they share two unrevealed neighbors, the 2 forces both shared cells to be mines, and remaining cells next to the 1 are safe.
Pattern 5: The Corner Deduction
In a corner, a number has only three neighbors instead of eight. Counting is easier. Solve corners early.
When guessing is correct
Sometimes no deduction is possible. Pick the cell with the lowest probability of being a mine and click. Corner and edge cells often have lower probabilities than center cells. A calibrated 50/50 late in a game is the correct play.
Play our Minesweeper game. First click is always safe.