Démineur, the hidden-mine logic game
A grid of hidden squares, with mines underneath. Each open square shows the number of mines touching it. By reading these numbers, you work out where the mines are, place flags, and open all the other squares without hitting a single mine.
Available on the App Store (iPhone, iPad) and on Google Play (Android).
The idea in one grid
Here is a Beginner grid of 9 × 9 squares with 10 mines, generated by the app, just after the first tap in the center. This first tap cannot hit a mine: the app places the mines afterward, never within the 3 × 3 square area around it. The tapped square therefore has a value of zero, and the app has opened 34 squares at once.
Look at the circled number in column 4, row 4: its value is 1, and only 1 of its 8 neighboring squares is hidden. That square must therefore contain a mine: you can safely flag it. Deduction by deduction, this grid can be completed in 23 steps without ever guessing: see the examples and strategy.
The app's levels
| Level | Columns × rows | Squares | Mines | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 9 × 9 | 81 | 10 | unrestricted |
| Intermediate | 16 × 10 | 160 | 25 | unrestricted |
| Hard | 20 × 12 | 240 | 40 | unrestricted |
| Expert | 30 × 16 | 480 | 60 | unrestricted |
| Extreme | 40 × 20 | 800 | 60 | after 5 wins on Expert |
| Marathon | 80 × 40 | 3 200 | 240 | after 3 wins on Extreme |
The dimensions are the same on phones and tablets: see Levels.
Where should you start?
The rules
The numbers, cascading openings, the protected first tap, flags, and chording on a number.
The levels
6 grid sizes, from Beginner to Marathon, including two to unlock.
Strategy
Three reliable deductions, the mine counter, and what to do when nothing is certain anymore.
Solved grids
Grids generated by the app and solved step by step, without guessing.
On phones and tablets
The app is played in landscape orientation on iPhone, iPad, and Android. The images are screenshots of the current app.
