What can be said about Mine Sweeper? It is a very simple game that can perplex even those who think themselves reasonably sophisticated persons. You start on the easiest level with a 9 X 9 grid that had a mere 10 bomb in it. Expert mode is a well-sized 16 X 30 grid with a terrifying 99 mines. However, with the ability to make custom grids, the possibilities are endless.
The first couple clicks are pure luck. This is my one and only problem with this otherwise ingenious and creative game.
You press a square and hope that you don’t hit a mine. After you have a little bit to work with you have to decipher the code of minesweeper. With each click one of three things happens. 1: You hit a bomb, you hear an explosion, the smiley face on the top gets X’s over its eyes, and you start over. 2: Multiple squares turn gray and look punched in and only the outer edge has numbers on it. 3: You find a colored number. If you hit number one, well you are out of luck. If you get number 3, you are a little better off, but not much. Your money shot is number 2. This gives you the
most answers to work with.
The way to find bombs is to find a square that has a number on it. This number tells you how many bombs that square are in direct contact with, vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. So theoretically, one square could have as many as 8 bombs touching it. Personally, you would be hard pressed to find more then 5. You then have to use all adjacent squares that have numbers to figure out which square has a bomb. When you find a bomb, right click to mark it.
This deceivingly simple game has stole hours away from my life, and will continue to do so at work, at home, or at school. This game is ultra-addictive, and fantastically simple, and challenging. It is one of the greatest games of all time!
