Ticerapps
Minesweeper: Strait of Hormuz
Classic rules on boards shaped like a real coastline, plus classic grids and a 44-puzzle campaign.
Ticerapps Minesweeper
Games & guides
Minesweeper, played well.
Two Minesweeper games built around fair, solvable boards, and free guides that take you from the basic rules to the patterns experienced players read at a glance.
Our Minesweeper games
Gem Sweeper NEW
Classic Minesweeper with a little sparkle: no-guess boards, 50 puzzles that each teach a pattern, and a 60-second Pattern Rush.
Learn Minesweeper
Free, with pictures and practice boards.
BeginnerHow to play MinesweeperThe rules in three lines, what the numbers mean, flags, chording and your first move.
StrategyMinesweeper patterns: 12 visual examples1–1, 1–2–1, 1–2–2–1, corners, reductions and counting, with boards to practise on.
ExplainerNo-guess MinesweeperWhat makes a board fair, how a solver checks it, and why stuck doesn't always mean guess.
The pattern library
- All remaining tiles are minesThe simplest proof
- The satisfied numberEverything else is safe
- 1–1 on an edgeThe third tile is safe
- 1–2 on an edgeFind the forced mine
- 1–2–1Mines under the 1s
- 1–2–2–1Mines under the 2s
- 1–1+ / a small holeOverlap reasoning
- 1–2+ / extra minesOverlap with a surplus
- Reduce 2–3–2 to 1–2–1Subtract proven flags
- 1–3–1 cornerThree mines, one shape
- Use the whole-board countEndgame counting
- Recognise a real 50/50When logic runs out
Minesweeper questions
Is Minesweeper luck or logic?
Mostly logic. Every number tells you exactly how many mines touch that tile, and most boards can be cleared by combining those clues. An ordinary random board can still force a 50/50 guess; a no-guess board is generated so that it never does.
What do the numbers in Minesweeper mean?
A number counts the mines in the eight tiles around it, diagonals included. A 1 has exactly one mine among its neighbours. A blank tile (a zero) has none, so the game opens all of its neighbours for you.
What is the 1–2–1 pattern?
Three clues reading 1, 2, 1 along a straight edge of hidden tiles. The mines are under the two 1s and the tile under the 2 is safe. It is one of the most common shapes on any board.
What is no-guess Minesweeper?
A board that a solver has checked so that every safe tile can be reached by deduction from your first move. You can still lose to a mistake, but never to a forced coin flip. Gem Sweeper uses no-guess boards by default, and the Strait of Hormuz browser boards do too.
Is the first click always safe?
In both Ticerapps games, yes, by default. Mines are placed after your first tap, so the tile you choose and the tiles around it start clear. Gem Sweeper lets you switch this off for a harder start.
Can I play Minesweeper free in a browser?
Yes. Minesweeper: Strait of Hormuz has four free boards that run in any browser at minesweeperstraitofhormuz.com, with no download or sign-up.