PLAYING GUIDE
A number describes eight neighbours
A revealed number counts mines in the surrounding horizontal, vertical and diagonal cells. Edge and corner cells have fewer neighbours. Flags are reminders you place yourself; they are not evidence supplied by the game.
Use the remaining count
If a 2 touches two correctly flagged mines, every other unrevealed neighbour of that clue is safe. Conversely, if a 2 has exactly two unrevealed neighbours and no adjacent flagged mines, both must be mines. The word correctly matters: a mistaken flag can make later reasoning fail.
Compare overlapping clues
Two nearby numbers often share some hidden neighbours. Separate shared cells from cells belonging to only one clue. If the shared region already accounts for one clue’s remaining mines, its other cells are safe. Do not infer a specific mine merely because several arrangements look similar.
Know the limit of certainty
The first reveal is safe, but this is not a promise that every later position can be solved without a guess. If several mine arrangements remain possible, the local clues do not prove one of them. Winning requires revealing every safe cell; flagging every hidden cell does not win.
Updated 26 September 2026 · Our editorial method