Minesweeper is more than just an entertainment. In fact, it's a strategic mind game that will really glue you to your seats for hours! And because of its interesting features, this one can be highly addicting. If this is your first-time hearing about this game, read on to know more! We will break down every detail you ought to know about it.
History of This Ever-popular Game
Before getting into the main specifications of the game, let's have a quick trip down memory lane. Minesweeper can be traced back to the 1960s. Since its release, it was included in most computer operating systems, particularly in Windows. It was then considered as a built-in game for Windows OS 3.1 until 7.
Over time, different variants and styles have been incorporated into this classic online puzzle. But for many, the most illustrious of them all is the traditional Minesweeper from Windows 95 to Windows XP version. So, regardless of the design of the game, what is this all about?
Fundamentals of Minesweeper
Minesweeper is featuring a rectangular board filled with square tiles. There are mines hidden under some of those tiles, and your main goal is to find all of them. Well, it might seem quite simple ? as long as you do not detonate them.
Turning over all the tiles with an aim to not click those with bombs makes this game very stimulating. Simply because one wrong decision - and the game is over! Throughout the process, there will be clues given in the face of numbers. Sounds complex? Then let's get to know the core features and rules better with the aid of the list below.
There are three types of squares you will face when revealing the tiles. They are the following:
- A number that corresponds to the number of bombs within its adjacent square tiles. For example, if the tile has a digit of 1, this means that all its surrounding squares have only one mine.
- A mine that signifies your loss. Revealing a mine indicates that you did not win the game because you have detonated the bomb.
- Nothing, which implies the adjacent squares do not have mines. If none of the adjacent tiles come with mines, then it will be automatically revealed for your convenience.
Since the system knows whether an area has a mine or not, it will automatically open the remaining adjacent tiles as long as you first click the correct tile with no mine. Accordingly, this helps in saving time and clearing out the squares quickly.
More about the Minesweeper Gameplay
When starting a Minesweeper game, your first click is guaranteed to have no mine, hence you can click anywhere you want. Right after, you will need to try your luck and open adjacent tiles. This can be tricky since the numbers shown on the opened tiles are still limited. Therefore, you have to think carefully before opening a tile. To make your gaming experience more convenient, we've gathered additional Minesweeper moves that you need to polish accordingly, apart from simply opening the tiles.
Mark the tile as a mine
You can warn yourself about dangerous tiles that might contain mines by right clicking on the tile you want to mark. If you do this properly, an icon of a flag will be shown on the square. Make sure to count the mines properly. In most cases, you can see their number on the playing area.
Mark the tile with a question sign
If you're unsure whether or not the square has a mine, you can put a question mark on it by right clicking twice. Or if you already have marked a square as a mine, you can click right again to change it into a question. Using such marks are downright beneficial in making your gaming experience less stressful.
Remove any marks
Another move you can make is to clear a mark on a tile. For example, once you get sure it is safe to open. You can do so by clicking right again. Henceforth, the right click cycle is as follows ? first right click means bomb, second is for the question mark, and the third one is to clear the square.
Check all adjacent squares
With the aid of the numbers on the tile, you can figure out where the mines can be located. For instance, if a tile has a number one and you have already flagged one tile with a mine, you can easily check the tiles that are not likely to be dangerous. All you have to do is to left click the square with the number. For example, you pressed number 3 and you've only marked one adjacent square as mine, then you have to deal with the step-by-step process. You need to try other areas until you get a definite answer. Remember that every click matters! One wrong move and you'll blow up your chances of winning!
Special Features of this Classic Game
Even so Minesweeper has been around for many decades, its uniqueness still shines. This traditional game has revolved to keep up with the demands of different people as it is a good means for spending spare time. One more great feature of Minesweeper is its ability to polish your mental skills. This game takes a lot of practice and helps one to develop determination and patience.
There are also several recurring patterns as well as other strategies that you need to learn. Once you better understand the main logic of the moves and will be able to plan your actions, it will be easy to accomplish your subsequent games. Furthermore, Minesweeper wouldn't be as challenging without the timer. Every move counts, so as every tick of the timer. Thus, if you want to evaluate your efficiency and break your initial record, practice hard to complete the game faster.
Conclusion
Now that you know the basic Minesweeper gameplay, are you ready to kick off the fun? Give it a try and for sure you'll be spending hours playing this classic puzzle game. And of course, the time spent this way is definitely something that you wouldn't regret!