Microsoft Minesweeper

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Microsoft Minesweeper is a simple puzzle game where you clear a grid of squares without hitting hidden mines. You click to reveal squares; numbers tell you how many mines are next to them. You can flag squares you think contain mines or mark unsure ones with a question. The goal is to uncover all safe squares without exploding a mine. If you flag a safe square by mistake, you’ll see a red mark when you lose.

The game was created by Curt Johnson for IBM OS/2 and ported to Windows by Robert Donner. It first appeared in 1990 as part of the Microsoft Entertainment Pack 1 and joined Windows 3.1 in 1992, staying in Windows through Vista when an updated version replaced it. In Windows 8 and later, Minesweeper isn’t preinstalled, but Microsoft released a new version on the Microsoft Store, developed by Arkadium. That version is ad-supported, with options to remove the ads.

Minesweeper offers three standard board sizes—beginner, intermediate, and expert—with a Custom option as well. In some regions there was a Flower Field version that replaced mines with flowers after a public campaign about the game’s theme. There were also spin-offs like Minesweeper Flags for MSN Messenger and a 2010 Xbox 360 version.

Today’s Windows Minesweeper (on the Microsoft Store) adds Modern and Garden themes, daily challenges, and an Adventure mode. The free version includes Classic, Easy, Medium, and Expert boards, plus Custom, Adventure, and Daily Challenges. The game also features Leaderboards, Statistics, Tutorials, and Awards, with touch-friendly controls for flags and swipes.