Is Minesweeper Still A Good Game To Play In 2023?

Is Minesweeper a difficult game?

There are actually many variables which affect the difficulty settings of Minesweeper. One variable is the size of the board. The larger the board is, the more mines there may be. However you have to keep in mind that simply having a logic board does not necessarily mean there will actually be more mines. Mine density is another factor in this game. Some maps may have a very large board but a very low density of mines. Other maps may have a high density of mines but a smaller board. You can adjust the difficulty settings depending on which version of  Minesweeper you are playing. Generally, winning with a denser board is more difficult than winning with a less dense board. Simply because someone is able to successfully clear a large map does not necessarily mean they are a good Minesweeper player. It would be more impressive if they could clear a denser board rather than a large board. That being said, some boards you will have no choice but to make a guess. When it comes down to making a guess, and you make the wrong guess, then you may feel very frustrated and that may make you less willing to keep playing. 

Why do people play Minesweeper?

There are many reasons why people may choose to play Minesweeper. Minesweeper is a classic game. It also does not require internet access, at least most versions do not. Some people may play Minesweeper for nostalgia because it is a classic game. Other people may like playing board games. Minesweeper can be a relaxing game because the pace is much slower than certain real time strategy or first person shooter games. Now there are many platforms and remakes of Minesweeper. Aside from the normal Windows Minesweeper which was the classic version, there have been many remakes including a 4D Minesweeper on Steam. Smartphone apps also have Minesweeper games.

What is some advice for new players of Minesweeper?

The essence of Minesweeper is a very simple game. The way to win the game is to clear the board without clicking any mines. When you click on an empty space, it could either be a mine or it could be a safe spot. If it is a mine you will lose a game. You must use your intellect to determine if a spot is mined or not. The game will give you a clue because you may see a number when you click on a space, and this number means that the amount of squares bordering the number are full of mines. For example, if you see a 1, that means there is one square bordering the one that is a mine, but only one. You can use these numbers to logically deduce how many bombs are on certain squares. 

The Frustration of Having to Guess

Having to guess what could be a mine or not can be very frustrating for some players of Minesweeper. Sometimes you can use logic to deduce if something is guaranteed to be a mine or guaranteed to be safe. In these cases, you can use your brain and whether you win or lose is based upon your ability to read the game. However, there are other circumstances where the information provided to by the game is not definite. You will be forced to make a choice based on guessing. With these guesses, you simply have to get lucky. No amount of skill will help you if you have to guess. Being unable to control whether you may win or lose can make a player very frustrated because they feel like they do not have any choice in the matter. People like playing games of skill, not games of luck. There are some things to keep in mind though when it comes to Minesweeper.

In Minesweeper, the first click will never actually be a mine. This is because the mines are not generated until after your first click. Once you make the first click, then the board will be generated. The computer will make sure that your first click is never a mine. It is unlikely, but sometimes your first click may be an 8 number. If your first click is an 8, then you can know for sure that all of the spots surrounding where you clicked are mines. There will be no safe spots around where you clicked. Of course, this is only valid if you are clicking where there are no corners. You’ll have to do the math if you click somewhere that borders the edge of the map and there are less than 8 squares surrounding where you clicked. For example, see this image:

Is the random element of Minesweeper very frustrating?

For some players, getting to the point where you have to guess and cannot know for sure if something is a mine or not can be very frustrating. It can be even more frustrating if you have spent a lot of time clearing the whole board only to have the last block come down to chance and then you lose after guessing incorrectly. Other players may enjoy that aspect of the game. It actually depends on the individual player’s preference. However, if you are one of those players who does not like having to guess or does not like when whether you win or lose comes down to chance rather than something that you can control, then you can actually try a different version of Minesweeper that does not have unsolvable games. The board of Minesweeper is generated by the computer, different versions of Minesweeper have different rules with generating the board. Other players may just want to click blocks on randomly until they win or lose. Everyone actually has their own playing style. The important thing for you is to find the style that you like and have fun with it.