Minesweeper (video game)
Minesweeper (English minesweeper " minesweepers ") is a first simple, the operating system Microsoft Windows up to and including the version of Windows 7 supplied separately computer game in which the player must find out by reasoning, behind which fields are hidden mines. An additional challenge is running a stopwatch. The goal is to quickly uncover all fields, behind which no mines are hidden.
History
Minesweeper was originally developed by Microsoft for Windows 3.1 and later issued with every subsequent version for the PC; since Windows 8, it must be installed as an app from the Windows Store. The game is missing from Windows Mobile to the version Windows Mobile 2003 SE. For Windows Phone is available in many countries via the integrated Windows Phone Store a free Xbox Live Minesweeper App. With Windows Vista, it has been completely redesigned and features as the ability to replace the mines by flowers. Records that have been achieved on Windows accompanying program versions will not be accepted for international and national leaderboards, because the current version gives the player the opportunity to play on a field with the same mine positions repeatedly (restart) and previous versions are not secure against cheats and hacks. For competitions and rankings, however, only find the " Minesweeper Arbiter " " Minesweeper X" and "Vienna Sweeper " application programs. Similar to Minesweeper, the paper-based game lighting has been developed.
Difficulty levels
In the original Minesweeper for Windows 3.x and 9x there are four different difficulty levels:
- Beginners: field 8 by 8 (64 ) fields and 10 mines (16 %).
- Advanced: Field of 16 by 16 (256 ) fields and 40 mines (16 %).
- Professionals: Field of 30 by 16 ( 480) fields and 99 mines (21 %).
- Custom: Maximum size 30 x 24 (720) fields and 667 mines ( 93%).
In the versions of Windows from Windows 2000, the rookie pitch size is 9 times 9 with the same number as mine previously (10, so now 12%). This lower density is mine on several games towards considered an advantage over the 8 times 8 playing fields, as the number of clicks needed to win at least is reduced on average by a smaller mine density.
The Custom mode, the amount accepted for official rankings versions Minesweeper Minesweeper Clone 2007 X allows a maximum field size of 50 by 50 or the entire screen size.
Game History
In the beginning, one of three difficulty levels is chosen, which determines the size of the playing field (number of fields) and the number of mines. All fields are hidden before the game starts. The aim of the game is to uncover all fields that hides not mine.
With the left mouse button, the player uncovers a field; if under this field a mine is, the game is lost. In the Windows versions as well as the accepted for rankings versions but the first click in the normal game mode is never a mine. With the right mouse button, it marks a field as mine. There, a red flag will appear. To make this mark undo satisfy a ( depending on the chosen setting) or two more right clicks on the same field. To win, it is not necessary to mark mines with the right mouse button. It suffices all fields that do not contain mines, uncover with the left mouse button. Optionally, you can enable so-called markers, if you are not sure if there is a mine under a field. These appear in the form of a question mark in the fields and also be set with the right mouse button.
With the left mouse button exposed fields that do not contain lead, reveal the number of mines that are located in the neighboring eight fields. A face-up field that is surrounded on all sides by mines, will show an 8. By the Numbers of detected fields, it is usually possible to find out the whereabouts of the mines. If you make a double click with the left mouse button on a face-up box near where all the mines are already marked or clicks at the same time with the left and right mouse button, the remaining fields are revealed at once.
When starting the game and especially at the higher levels of play to situations in which one can only guess at what is a mine field result.
By minimizing the program to the taskbar clock is stopped.
Variants
Minesweeper Flags
In MSN / Windows Live Messenger, there is the opportunity to play against a contact in the list. In this variant of the game 51 mines are distributed on the field, it comes to exposing the first 26 pieces. Alternately, a field is discovered; Who can find a mine, may still reveal a. In addition, each player again has the opportunity to detonate a bomb that choice at once completely unravels a 5x5 box ( unless the player is in arrears ) in each game.
Mines do not flag (non- flagging - NF )
In this variant of the game, the player does not mark mines. So we can not use the right mouse button during the game. It has won automatically when you use the left mouse button, all fields except the mined exposed. The difficulty of this version of the game is that you have to remember mine the identified positions.
In order to achieve personal bests on the beginner and advanced levels, many professionals contact this variant in parts even up on the whole game field. Since the bests of the best players in the variant non- flagging are only slightly slower than their fastest times in the normal game and non- flagging is less often played, it can be assumed that non- flagging, although difficult for the beginner, no slower than flagging is.
Since 2009, there alongside the official world rankings, the flagging as well as non- flagging games includes also an official ranking list, which is reserved exclusively for non- flagging - best times.
Increase mine density
Another difficulty is to increase the mine density in the Custom / Custom variant. The starting point is usually the biggest playing field that is filled in the standard version with 99 mines. Such a field is with some practice yet to be resolved; However, times of less than 150 seconds presuppose good exercise.
To clear a field of this size, however, is more difficult, the denser the field is busy. Fields with 130 to 140 mines (28%) have a very high degree of difficulty. To be embarrassed even more mines, already gives very many failed attempts to get at all only a first approach to mine clearance.
Examples
3D
Online, non-rectangular
Honeycombed
Triangular
Records
A list of world records in the individual levels of play: