Frequently asked questions
Can I lose on the first click?
No. Mines are only placed after your first tap, and the square you tapped (plus its neighbors) is kept mine-free whenever possible, so the game always opens with a fair start.
How do I place flags on a phone?
Turn on Flag mode with the 🚩 button — while it is on, every tap plants or removes a flag instead of revealing. On most phones a long-press also works, and on a computer you can simply right-click.
Does guessing ever become necessary?
Occasionally, yes — classic minesweeper boards are random, so late-game 50/50 situations can appear. Good players minimize guesses by working the border numbers first and flagging certain mines before opening uncertain areas.
What do the numbers in minesweeper mean?
Each number tells you how many mines touch that square, counting all eight neighbors including diagonals. A 1 next to a single unopened square means that square must be a mine — chaining deductions like this is the whole game.
What is chording in minesweeper?
Chording means clicking a revealed number that already has the right amount of flags around it to open all its remaining neighbors at once. Speedrunners rely on it heavily — it turns several careful clicks into one.
What is a good minesweeper time?
For casual players, simply clearing an Expert-size board is an achievement. Solid amateurs finish Expert in a few minutes, and world-class players do it in under 40 seconds. On Beginner boards, anything under 10 seconds is very quick.