ROSA GAMES / Game guides
Minesweeper: reading numbers and using flags
An opened number counts mines in the eight neighbouring cells, including diagonals. A flag is your own marker; placing one does not prove that a mine is present.
Compare the neighbouring clues
If a 1 has exactly one unopened neighbour, that cell must contain a mine. Once the required mines around a clue have been established, its other neighbours are safe. Use proven flags for this reasoning: one mistaken marker can undermine several later decisions.
Look at overlapping groups
Two adjacent numbers often describe overlapping groups of covered cells. Compare their shared cells with the cells unique to each clue. The difference can reveal a safe move even when neither number provides an answer on its own.
Choose the correct input mode
Use the game’s flag controls on a computer. On a touch screen, switch to flag mode before marking a cell and check the active mode before tapping. Treat a hint as a chance to examine the next decision rather than an invitation to open an arbitrary square.