Minesweeper Patterns and Tips: Win With Fewer Guesses

The Minesweeper patterns worth learning are the 1-1, 1-2, 1-2-1 and 1-2-2-1, which show up along any straight edge of open numbers. All of them come from two simple rules about counting a number's neighbours. Learn those and most boards need far fewer guesses, though some still can't be solved without one.

Every board below is live: tap a covered cell to see whether the numbers prove it safe, prove it a mine, or can't tell. Then try the patterns on a full board in our free Minesweeper.

What are the two basic Minesweeper rules?

The two rules are simple: compare a number with the covered cells it touches, then with the flags it touches. Every pattern on this page is these two rules applied to neighbouring numbers.

Rule 1: the number equals its covered cells

If a number touches exactly that many covered cells, all of them are mines. Below, each 1 touches only the corner cell, so the corner must be the mine.

Rule 2: the number already has its flags

If a number already touches that many flagged mines, everything else around it is safe. Below, the 1 has its flag, so you can open all seven other cells.

What does the 1-1 pattern mean?

A 1-1 starting at a wall means the third cell along is safe. The first 1 has its mine in the first two cells, and the second 1 touches those same two cells, so its one mine is already accounted for and the third cell must be clear.

Notice that the board settles only the middle cell. The others really can go either way until you open it and get a new number.

What does the 1-2 pattern mean?

A 1-2 starting at a wall means the third cell along is a mine. The 1 says the first two cells hold one mine. The 2 touches those two cells and one more, so that extra cell has to hold its second mine.

The same subtraction works anywhere: when one number's cells all sit inside another's, the difference between the numbers is the count of mines in the leftover cells.

What does the 1-2-1 pattern mean?

In a 1-2-1, the mines sit opposite the two 1s and the cell opposite the 2 is safe. Below, that puts flags on the second and fourth cells and clears the rest. It's the most useful pattern to recognise on sight.

What does the 1-2-2-1 pattern mean?

In a 1-2-2-1, the mines sit opposite the two 2s and the cells opposite the 1s are safe. Think of it as the 1-2 pattern read from both ends at once.

Where should you click first in Minesweeper?

If your version only guarantees the clicked cell, a corner is the likeliest to open an area, because it has the fewest neighbours that could hold a mine. An opening needs all of them to be clear. These are the exact chances on the three classic boards:

The trade-off is that an opening from the middle has more room to spread. Some versions also keep the first click's neighbours clear, so every first click opens an area wherever you start. Our free game works this way.

What should you do when you have to guess?

First open everything else you can prove, because a new number may settle the guess for you. Below, both 1s touch the same two cells, so nothing on this board can separate them.

• Check the mine counter. Late in a game, the mines left can rule out a layout the numbers alone allow.
• Compare your options. A two-cell guess like this one is a coin flip. If mines are sparse on the rest of the board, a cell far from any number may be the better risk. On a fresh Expert board, about one cell in five holds a mine.
• Guess early, not late. If a guess can't be avoided, take it as soon as you spot it, so you lose less time if it goes wrong.
• Prefer a guess that helps. A safe cell that gives you a new number is worth more than one that only finishes a corner.

How do you get faster at Minesweeper?

You get faster by clicking less, and chording saves the most clicks. Click a number that already has all its flags and it opens every other neighbour at once.

• Flag only what helps a chord. Every flag costs a click, so many fast players skip the ones they don't need.
• Work outward from what you just opened. New numbers are where the next safe move usually is.
• Learn patterns on sight. Spotting a 1-2-1 is quicker than counting it out.
• Move up a board only when you stop guessing. Expert has the same patterns as Beginner, just more of them at once.

Common questions

What is the 1-2-1 pattern in Minesweeper?

It's three numbers in a row along an edge of covered cells. The mines sit opposite the two 1s, and the cell opposite the 2 is safe.

Is every Minesweeper board solvable without guessing?

No. In the classic game, the numbers sometimes allow two layouts, and only a guess can settle them. Some versions, such as Simon Tatham's Mines, only deal boards that can be finished by deduction alone.

What is the best first click in Minesweeper?

If only the clicked cell is guaranteed safe, a corner is the likeliest to open an area. In versions that also keep its neighbours clear, every first click opens an area, so you can start anywhere.

Should you flag every mine?

Only if it helps you. A flag isn't needed to win, because the game ends when every safe cell is open. Flags are useful for chording and for keeping track of what you've worked out.

What is chording in Minesweeper?

Chording opens all of a number's unflagged neighbours at once, once it has as many flags as its value. If one of those flags is wrong, it can open a mine, so check them first.