Custom Minesweeper
Pick the width, height and number of mines. Every board can still be cleared without a guess.
- Board
- –
- Time
- 0:00
- Mines
- 40
Arrow keys move between squares. Enter or Space opens a square, or opens the rest around a number whose mines are flagged. F places or removes a flag.
Learn the game
Rules
Custom Minesweeper keeps the rules of the standard game on a grid you choose: open every square that has no mine, and don't open a mine. Each number tells how many of its eight neighbours hold one.
Choosing a size
Set the width (5 to 30 columns), the height (5 to 24 rows) and the number of mines, then press Use. On a wider screen the Sizes menu beside it has three sizes to try. The game keeps your choice for the next visit. Up to a quarter of the squares can be mines.
For a feel of the standard levels: beginner is 9×9 with 10 mines (12 % of the squares), intermediate 16×16 with 40 (16 %), expert 30×16 with 99 (21 %). Above about 20 % boards get much harder, because each number touches more mines.
No guessing, at any size
Custom boards don't come from a list. When you pick a size or press New, the page lays boards of your size one after another and lets our solver play each from its start square with sure steps only; the first one it clears is yours. That takes a few milliseconds for most sizes and up to about a second at a quarter mines.
If no board of that size can be found in a few thousand tries, the page says so: lower the mine count a little and try again.
How to play here
Click or tap to open, right-click or press and hold to flag, and tap a fully flagged number to open the rest around it. Flag mode below the board makes every tap a flag on a small screen. Your first click is always safe, Hint shows the next sure square with its reason, and your game is saved in this browser.
Questions
Will I ever have to guess?
No. Before a board goes into the game, our solver plays it from its start square using only sure steps, the kind a person can follow, and keeps it only if it clears every safe square. Boards that end in a coin flip are left out.
Is there a daily custom board?
No. The daily boards are on the beginner, intermediate and expert pages, where everyone plays the same size.
Do custom games count in my stats?
Yes, in one record for all custom sizes: games, wins and streaks. Fastest times mix sizes, so compare them with care.
Are some boards easier than others?
Yes. We grade every board by how hard it is to finish: card deals by how often a simple, casual way of playing wins them, Minesweeper boards by how many tricky steps they need. New players start with easy boards; two wins in a row bring harder ones, two unfinished boards easier ones. You can also pick a level yourself under Settings.
Is Cards & Puzzles free?
Yes. Cards & Puzzles is free to use and needs no account.
Do I need an account?
No. Open a game and play.
Where are my stats and saved games kept?
In your browser, on this device. Your stats stay on your device. Nothing is uploaded. Clearing your browser's site data deletes them.
Can I play offline?
Yes. After your first visit the games work without a connection, including on a phone.
What is the daily board?
One board per level each day, the same for everyone. Your stats show which daily boards you have won.