how to play minesweeper

Minesweeper is a game that's installed by default on most computers that come with Windows. Most people like to just click around the program hoping to not hit a mine, but here's how to play with strategy.

Steps

1. Open Minesweeper. On most Windows computers, you can do this by Start -> All Programs -> Games -> Minesweeper.
   
   
   
   
   
   • You can also play Minesweeper online. Search "minesweeper free."
2. Select a difficulty level. Click Game in the upper-left corner, and select Beginner, Intermediate, Expert, or Custom. If you're new to Minesweeper, start with Beginner.
   
   
   
   • Custom allows you to determine the number of squares in the grid, as well as the number of mines. You can play around with this later.
   • The number in the upper-left corner denotes the number of mines on the board. The number in the upper-right corner denotes the number of flags you've put down.
3. Click any square. Most Minesweeper players click random squares until a group of squares "opens" up. If 4 or 5 squares opened after your click, it's time to evaluate the numbers. If only one square opens after your click, find another random square.
   
   
   
4. Understand what the numbers mean. If you see a 1 on the board, it means that square is touching exactly 1 mine.
   
   
   
   • Squares that touch numbers diagonally can be potential mines, as well.
5. Eliminate squares that can't possibly contain mines by clicking. Say you found a 1, and you're pretty sure where the mine for that 1 is. You can click all the other squares around that 1 to open them, because the 1 can only be in contact with a single mine.
   
   
   
6. Right-click to identify mines. When you're reasonably certain you've found a mine, identify it by right-clicking on the square. This will put a flag on the mine, and prevent you from clicking on it.
   
   
   
7. Keep moving through a process of elimination. As you go around the board, flag potential mines. If you find that you've flagged more mines than the game allows, go back and re-evaluate them.
   
   
   
8. Practice. After you master Beginner, move on to Intermediate, and then to Expert. As you go on, you'll notice yourself losing less often.