To play Minesweeper is simply a matter of loading it up. The goal is to correctly identify all of the mines using a combination of logic and pattern recognition. When squares without mines are clicked with the mouse, they are revealed. If the square contains a mine, all mines will be shown and the game is over. If there isn't a mine where you clicked, it will behave in a couple of different ways depending on whether it is next to a mine. If the square is next to a mine, it will have a number that indicates the number of mines adjacent to the square; that is any mines to the side of, above, below, or diagonally.

If the square is not next to a mine, it will appear as blank. If there are other blank squares next to the clicked square, they will also be revealed. The first click will never be a mine because the mine placements are not generated until after the first click.

You can also right-click the mouse on any square to flag it as a mine. Right-clicking a second time will turn it into a question mark in case you aren't sure between a couple of different squares. Flagged mines don't respond to a normal click. Question marked mines still act like normal squares.

Strategies

The basic strategy is to start by clicking any square. Some people prefer to click near the edge and some people in the middle, however the middle tends to be the best place to start due to more possible openings.

Flag mines that you are certain about. This prevents accidentally clicking and decrements the mine counter so you know how many unmarked mines are remaining.

If you are unsure between a couple of different spots, using the question mark will come in handy. It will not reduce the mine counter and the square can still be clicked.

Save any squares you are uncertain about until the end. Watch the mine counter too because it can also help determine between a uncertain squares based on how many are left.

Because Minesweeper has been around awhile, you can find many more strategies on the internet.