Why is Minesweeper So Hard? Tips to Master the Game

Minesweeper might look simple, but it’s harder than it looks. It’s a game that has puzzled players for a very long time. At its core, it’s a game that is all about revealing safe squares, while taking the time to avoid mines where possible. Players are given a grid of hidden squares, which all contain either a mine or a number. The challenge of Minesweeper is in how complex the patterns are and the process you need to follow to avoid making a mistake. Understanding the rules, and taking the time to master techniques, can improve your chances of winning by quite a lot. If you want to find out more about why Minesweeper is so challenging, while getting some tips that will help you to master the game, then all you have to do is take a look below.

Understanding Minesweeper’s Rules

Before diving into strategies and tips, it’s so important that you take the time to understand how the game itself is played. The game is usually placed on deduction. With that said, the information that is revealed is often vague. You may have a number 1 next to an open square, and this means that there is one mine in one of the eight adjacent squares. With that said, you might not know which box the mine is in, and often, there are many different possibilities that you might need to take into account. In larger grids, the uncertainty grows quite a lot. Even though a smaller grid may seem more manageable, it’s important to know that with bigger grids, you have more possibilities and more combinations. Luck does play a role to some extent, especially when you are faced with situations where you do not have enough information to make a logical conclusion choice. With that said, if you can learn how to think strategically then this will reduce how much you have to rely on luck.

Strategies to Improve Your Game

If you want to improve how good you are at Minesweeper then there are a few things that you need to take note of first. If you want to become good at Minesweeper then you need to refine your approach and you also need to make sure that you apply both logic and patterns. You also need to make sure that you understand the grid you are working with and what it is telling you. If you want to be able to improve your game then here are a few things you need to know.

Start with the Corners and Edges

The first thing you need to do is begin with the corners or the edges of the grid. The main reason for this is because it will open up more squares at once for you. You will also be able to reveal more information, which will aid you when trying to deduce the location of the mines. If you click the middle then you may be stuck with fewer clues at first, especially if you know that the numbers are not evenly distributed. Starting at the corners allows you to gain a wider base of knowledge so you can use this information for moves later on.

Process of Elimination

You also need to make sure that you use the process of elimination to your advantage. Minesweeper, at the end of the day, is all about logical deduction. You need to make sure that when you reveal a number, you take the time to deduce where the mines might be. If you know that there is a number 1, and this appears next to three squares then it’s easier for you to assume that one of those 3 squares is going to be a mine. As numbers are revealed and as time goes on you can then continue to apply this process, so you can find out where the mines are located.

Look for Patterns

You also need to take the time to look out for common patterns. Certain number patterns often happen in Minesweeper and this can help you to guide your moves. If you have a 1 that is next to a 2, and the 2 is next to two squares that are covered then you can deduce that one of the squares is going to be a mine. You can then assume that the other ones are going to be safe. If you can track your progress visually like this then it stops you from making critical errors. If you have a 3 next to a 1, and you know the 1 has already been satisfied then you can rest assured knowing that the 3 is then going to give you some clues about the squares that are safe.

Finding Mines

One major feature of Minesweeper is that you can flag squares that you think are going to contain mines. As you begin to uncover numbers, you can use the game’s flagging system as a way to track your thoughts. The best thing about doing this is that you can track your progress while ensuring that you stop any accidental clicks. One benefit of doing this is that you can easily stop yourself from being misled at a later date.

Take Advantage of Safe Clicks

When a large area of the grid happens to be uncovered, it’s very uncommon to encounter a situation where the remaining squares are surrounded by numbers. When this happens, you may find that you don’t have any useful information that you can use. In situations like this, you may find that you have the option of a safe click. This is great, as you can take advantage of automated moves. Mastering this phase, when you believe that you have flagged the remaining mine property, allows you to be safe and allows you to play the game for longer.

Be Prepared

Even though you may implement your best efforts, Minesweeper can easily grow you into a random situation from time to time. This is especially the case when you are working with a much bigger grid. There will come a point where Minesweeper cannot help you and where you cannot help yourself. You may end up with two squares that end up having conflicting possibilities and in situations like this, all you can do is assess things carefully. If a mistake could well cause you to lose the game then you tend to identify areas where you might be able to reduce the chances of hitting a mine. You may even want to leave the mine and then come back at a later date. If you can do this then you will soon find that it is easier for you to get the result you want.

Practice

At the end of the day, practice makes perfect. Like most puzzle games, you will get better over time. The more you play, you may find that the better you become at recognizing the patterns too. You can also make faster decisions, which will help you map the grid and make sure that you make it less about chance. If you can make it more about logic then this will help you too, so make sure that you keep this in mind.

Common Minesweeper Mistakes

If you want to get better at Minesweeper then you also need to make sure that you avoid these common mistakes. If you don’t then you may find that you end up making your life way harder when that just doesn’t need to happen. If you want to help yourself then the first thing you need to do is follow the below.

Guessing Too Early

One critical mistake that you might make is guessing too early. A lot of people think that they need to make a guess and go with the logical steps in front of them. Although this is tempting, especially when you are working with a lot of open spaces, you need to avoid it. Minesweeper is a strategy game that revolves around both logic and deduction. You need to make sure that you guess safe spots and that you also work through the numbers where you can. Always strive to make moves that are based on clues or logic as opposed to randomness or basic intuition. If you can do this then you will see that your game notably improves.

Not Using Your Numbers

Minesweeper relies on you using numbers in cells so that you can get a good idea of the mines you have around you. Some players happen to miss how subtle these numbers can be and they also cannot deduce what they mean in the overall context of things. If you want to work around this then you need to take note that every number indicates the number of mines that are in the next squares over. If you have a 3 then this means that there are 3 squares in the surrounding areas. It is so important to remember that you have to look at all of the adjacent cells so you can pay attention properly to what they are telling you. If you do not pay attention then you may end up missing out on opportunities and this will make you miss out on guessing a cell without you having to.

Ignoring the Corners and Edges

Another mistake would be to ignore the corners or the edges. If you are a beginner then you may be tempted to focus on the center of the grid and ignore the corners when actually, this is where the solution may be found. If you can take the time to focus on distinctive patterns like this then you may find that this holds the key to you finding the critical information you need. Corners can sometimes lead to situations where you find that there is only one valid move and this makes them a good place for you to focus all of your attention. In certain cases, you may find that the edges do not have as many cells around them and this greatly reduces the amount of variables that you have to consider. If you can use them as starting points then this will make it easier for you to adopt a much more efficient strategy.

Assuming Safety

Another major mistake would be if you assume safety. This is the last thing you want to be doing. It is all too easy for you to assume it because there aren’t any numbers around it but if you do then you may find that the game is less predictable. It may be that you need to try and verify that a spot is safe and if you cannot do this then keep searching for one that you know is. If you can do this then you will soon find that it is easier to get the result you need overall.

Relying on Flags

Another critical mistake would be to rely too much on flags. Flagging is a very good tool that you can use in Minesweeper. With that said, if you overflag then this is just as problematic as not using flags at all. Sometimes players find that they flag too early or that they flag too much as well. If you do this then you may find that your judgement is clouded. If you are under too much pressure then you may find that you need to navigate and find the best way forward. Take the time to use flags but do not place them unless you have a solid reason to do so.

Ignoring the 1

Another thing that you need to make sure you aren’t doing is ignoring the 1 rule. The 1 rule is a very fundamental strategy when playing games like Minesweeper. It’s also one that most people overlook. Whenever you encounter a number 1 in Minesweeper, you can easily take the time to identify the mines around it. If you can identify which surrounding cell has been flagged, or if you can pinpoint which ones are mine then this will help you to open up new areas, even if they do come with a high degree of uncertainty. Ignoring smaller clues, such as the number 1 rule will however lead to you making more mistakes.

Clicking too Fast

Another issue is if you click too fast. Minesweeper may seem as if it’s about random clicking but this is not true at all. If you rush then you may make critical mistakes and this can lead to you not opening the right boxes. Take your time and make a good analysis of what numbers you are working with. From there, you can then make patterns, which will help you in more ways than one. If you can, you also need to try and use the corners and the edges strategically. Reduce the number of open cells by doing this and when working with larger grids, know that your initial few decisions will end up having a huge impact on your game. Plan and be methodical where you can, as this will often lead to you getting bigger and better results down the line.

Not Checking the Grid

Lastly, you need to make sure that you aren’t avoiding checking the grid. Minesweeper is a full grid and therefore, you need to make sure that you are completing all of the logical moves before you go ahead. If you do this then you can easily make sure that you have not missed out on any potential deductions. Sometimes it may be that a small section holds the key to the whole puzzle, and in instances like this, you don’t want to miss out on tips like this.

Advanced Minesweeper Techniques

Believe it or not, there are also several advanced Minesweeper techniques that you can use to your advantage. You can, for example, look out for the 1-2-2-1 pattern. This pattern often emerges and if you are aware of it, you can then begin to look out for it. 1 will indicate that there is an adjacent 1 and if you have a 2, then this will narrow down the possibility as to which one that is. Flagging can also be used to your advantage, as mentioned earlier, so be sure to keep that in mind.

The Logic of Larger Patterns

If you know that you have a lot of adjacent 1s or if you know that there are 1s that appear around a high-density area of 2s then it’s good for you to look out for different intersections between numbers like this. Sometimes the best strategy would be for you to look for isolated numbers too, as you can deduce this from a nearby cell.

Probability Calculations

You also need to perform probability calculations if you can. The one benefit of doing this is that it allows you to calculate the probability of a mine being next to a particular spot. If you see that there is a “2” next to a space but you see that there is a “3” next to a cluster of cells then the chance of a mine being next to them can be deduced with ease. If you can do this then your job will become much easier and you will also find that it becomes more possible for you to get the result you want out of your game.

Chain Reaction

Sometimes, clearing one cell makes it easier for you to open up others. If you click a cell and this opens up a lot of different areas then use the numbers that have been revealed to try and deduce the layout of the mines. This can help you to trigger safer cells which can lead to even bigger gains later on. This, combined with advanced flagging can be a good strategy. Flagging isn’t just for confirmed mines either. You can mark cells that are highly likely to have mines in them. If you can do this then you can easily stop confusion which will help you later down the line. If you can use this for complex sections. Using the corners is also a good thing to do as well. If you see a number 1 appear then this can help you to deduce that it is connected to at least one cell. With this, you can then make it easier to know which ones are safe and which ones are not.

The 3-3

Lastly, you should try and use the 3-3 pattern. If you see a 3 and it happens to be surrounded by 3 cells that are hidden then you know that all 3 cells are mines. This could mean that there are safe zones elsewhere on the grid. You can also combine this with iterative logic. This is where you look at whole rows and columns. Sometimes, you need to look at the whole row or the whole column rather than the individual number. By analyzing the relationship between 1s and 2s, you can then make it way easier for you to find out the location of the mines, which will work in your favor moving forward. If you can keep this in mind then it becomes easier for you to clear the board and become more advanced at playing Minesweeper.

So as you can see, it’s very easy for you to not only get the result you need from Minesweeper but for you to also make sure that you are not making a critical mistake that could cost you more in the future. If you can follow this guide, you may even see a notable improvement in your strategy too, which will help to make Minesweeper more enjoyable for you later down the line. You can also follow YouTube videos if you want to develop your strategy even more, so be sure to keep that in mind as a possible way to become better at the game.

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