How to play SweepGrid
SweepGrid is Skorven’s free browser take on the classic minesweeper-style deduction puzzle — a genre that dates back to Ian Andrew’s Mined-Out on the ZX Spectrum in 1983. Reveal every safe square without clicking a mine. Each revealed number tells you how many mines touch that square - use those counts to deduce which neighbours are dangerous. Flag suspected mines with a long press (or right-click), and when a number already has all its mines flagged, tap the number to chord: all its remaining neighbours open at once. Your first click is always safe.
More like this: Logic games · all brain games
Read more: Best free puzzle games 2026 · Best brain games for adults
Tips & strategy
- Begin from wide-open areas: a revealed 0 auto-clears its neighbours and gives you the most information for free.
- The 1-2-1 and 1-2-2-1 patterns along walls have fixed mine positions - learning them solves whole borders instantly.
- Chording on satisfied numbers is the fastest way to clear - but only after you are certain your flags are right.
SweepGrid FAQ
Can I lose on the first click?
No. Mines are placed after your first reveal, and the first click plus its neighbours are always safe.
What do the three difficulties mean?
Easy is 9x9 with 10 mines, Medium 16x16 with 40, and Hard 16x30 with 99 - the classic expert layout.
Is SweepGrid the same as Minesweeper?
It is the same classic mine-clearing puzzle, built from scratch for Skorven under our own name. Mine-clearing is a long-established genre rather than any one company’s game, and SweepGrid shares no code or artwork with any other version.
What is chording?
Tapping a revealed number whose mine count is already fully flagged opens all its other neighbours at once. It is the key speed technique.