If you like minesweeper but hate these random picks, I really recommend the Hexcells series. They’re fun puzzle games that can be solved purely with logic. Kind of a cross between minesweeper and sudoku.
Also this isn’t a 50/50 chance to lose. You can win by placing all the flags without clearing all safe squares. So you’re guaranteed to win here by just flagging one, then the other if the first didn’t do the trick.
I’m not sure that is a normal win condition. Most places describe a win as being when all safe fields are cleared, not if the flags are placed correctly or at all.
Oh it isn’t? I was sure it was, I used to play a lot of minesweeper. In some of those versions, you definitely didn’t have to uncover all empty squares. The goal was just to uncover enough information to tell the game where the mines are. But if that’s not a universal rule, then that’s not really helpful lol. But then again I don’t think I ever played any versions where this could happen because, like the other guy suggested, the puzzles I used to play were all meant to be solvable without guessing.
The one most people know from the 1990s (Definitely on Windows 3.1, and probably Win 95) specifically was won only when all non-mine spaces were safely revealed. I know in my own case at least, I determined early on that flags were superfluous and ignored them in favour of better times.
But maybe at some point there was a game mode that let you finish by marking flags only, even when clear squares weren’t all revealed? It wouldn’t be the main game mode (or even present in the version I know), but I could see if that existed out there somewhere.
edit
I saw it confirmed by someone below there are indeed people playing newer versions of the game that have a “guess-free” mode.
All flags must be simultaneously correct for all bombs (none left out) for the win condition to happen. Flag all bombs you’re certain of and then guess the rest until you got the right combination
I don’t think the existence of no guess mode (something that I don’t think existed the last time I played stock minesweeper) would prevent people from wanting to try a fun game in a similar vein.
If you like minesweeper but hate these random picks, I really recommend the Hexcells series. They’re fun puzzle games that can be solved purely with logic. Kind of a cross between minesweeper and sudoku.
Or you can just turn the “no guess” mode on like a regular human.
Also this isn’t a 50/50 chance to lose. You can win by placing all the flags without clearing all safe squares. So you’re guaranteed to win here by just flagging one, then the other if the first didn’t do the trick.
I’m not sure that is a normal win condition. Most places describe a win as being when all safe fields are cleared, not if the flags are placed correctly or at all.
Oh it isn’t? I was sure it was, I used to play a lot of minesweeper. In some of those versions, you definitely didn’t have to uncover all empty squares. The goal was just to uncover enough information to tell the game where the mines are. But if that’s not a universal rule, then that’s not really helpful lol. But then again I don’t think I ever played any versions where this could happen because, like the other guy suggested, the puzzles I used to play were all meant to be solvable without guessing.
The one most people know from the 1990s (Definitely on Windows 3.1, and probably Win 95) specifically was won only when all non-mine spaces were safely revealed. I know in my own case at least, I determined early on that flags were superfluous and ignored them in favour of better times.
But maybe at some point there was a game mode that let you finish by marking flags only, even when clear squares weren’t all revealed? It wouldn’t be the main game mode (or even present in the version I know), but I could see if that existed out there somewhere.
edit I saw it confirmed by someone below there are indeed people playing newer versions of the game that have a “guess-free” mode.
I don’t think that’s true on the basic Windows version most people are familiar with?
All flags must be simultaneously correct for all bombs (none left out) for the win condition to happen. Flag all bombs you’re certain of and then guess the rest until you got the right combination
And I just jumped on one square to get it over with. If I survived, I could win, otherwise I could start a new game right away. Doh!
I don’t think the existence of no guess mode (something that I don’t think existed the last time I played stock minesweeper) would prevent people from wanting to try a fun game in a similar vein.
There’s a competitive scene for Minesweeper, and they don’t use the basic Windows version anymore. Too many issues like this.
Oh I see. Does it look similar to the picture above? I’m used to the earlier version.
I’ll also give a good recommendation to Simon Tanthem’s [Puzzles](Simon Tatham’s Puzzles (40 single-player logic games) https://f-droid.org/packages/name.boyle.chris.sgtpuzzles/). Dozens of different types of puzzles!