. (1992–2012). (2012–present)Included with. family.

A long time ago, in the days of Windows 3.1, Microsoft released the Windows Entertainment Pack. This pack had games, notable of which were classic Minesweeper, Snake, and Solitaire. The pack was discontinued in 2003 though some games like Minesweeper and Solitaire were revamped for later versions of Windows and were part of the OS for quite a.

through, excludingAvailable for. and laterMode(s)Microsoft Minesweeper (formerly just Minesweeper, and also known as Flower Field) is a -type created by Curt Johnson, originally for 's, that was ported to by Robert Donner, both employees at the time. First officially released as part of the in 1990, it was first included in the standard install of in 1992, replacing from.

Microsoft Minesweeper was included without major changes in all subsequent Windows releases until, at which time an updated version by replaced it. In and later the game is not included with a fresh Windows install, but has published an updated version of it, developed by, on. Minesweeper in on Easy Mode (a 9x9 square grid)The goal of Minesweeper is to uncover all the squares on a grid that do not contain without being 'blown up' by clicking on a square with a mine underneath. The location of the mines is discovered through a logical process (but that sometimes results in ambiguity). Clicking on the game board will reveal what is hidden underneath the chosen square or squares (a large number of blank squares bordering 0 mines may be revealed in one go if they are adjacent to each other).

Some squares are blank while others contain numbers (from 1 to 8), with each number being the number of mines adjacent to the uncovered square.To help the player avoid hitting a mine, the location of a suspected mine can be marked by flagging it with the right. The game is won once all blank or numbered squares have been uncovered by the player without hitting a mine; any remaining mines not identified by flags are automatically flagged by the computer.

However, in the event that a game is lost and the player had mistakenly flagged a safe square, that square will either appear with a red X, or else a red X covering the mine (both denoting the square as safe). The game board comes in three set sizes with a predetermined number of mines: 'beginner', 'intermediate', and 'expert', although a 'custom' option is available as well.In early versions of the game, a let players peek beneath the tiles.By the year 2000, the game had been given the name of Flower Field instead of Minesweeper in some translations of Windows 2000 (like the Italian version), featuring flowers instead of mines. Flower Field 's gameplay was otherwise unchanged, as was the executable file name.Evolution. The old look of Minesweeper in, developed by Oberon Media (2007) Minesweeper Flags In 2003, Microsoft created a variation called Minesweeper Flags in, which is played against an opponent with the objective to find the mines rather than the surrounding squares. Vista The game's color scheme changed with the release of Vista (from gray to either blue or green). The icons were updated to match the look. Xonotic system requirements.

It also came with a more peaceful 'flower' motif (called 'Flower Garden') to replace the landmines (a game style called 'Minesweeper'). The visual change also allowed for the Board to be 'Silver and Blue' or 'Green'. This iteration of Minesweeper was created.

The controversy over the theme of the game was settled by defaulting the appearance based on region so that 'sensitive' areas used the flower theme, but some still wanted the game removed from Windows altogether. The regionalization effort also included changing the game's name in some cases to match the theme.Windows 8 and later Microsoft removed Minesweeper from and instead published a free equivalent on. The new version is developed by and is ad-supported. The initial release was supported by 30 second video ads.

Later releases had monthly and annual subscription options to remove the ads. Multiple news outlets criticized the change as greedy. This version updates both motifs (themes called 'Modern' and 'Garden' as of Windows 10).

Daily challenges and an adventure mode were also added.As of Windows 10, the non-premium version has six modes of play: Easy (9x9), Medium (16x16), Expert (30x16), Custom, Adventure, and Daily Challenges. The two themes are 'Modern theme' and 'Garden theme'. On the main menu, there are sections for Awards, Leaderboards, Statistics, and Tutorials.

But if the window is resized to be much smaller, then it becomes impossible to change the theme. If the game window is made larger, the full menu is available and the theme can be changed.Some of the game options are only relevant for a, like the flag mode and swiping.Reception called the game an 'iconic part' of the. References. Retrieved 2011-06-22. Cobbett, Richard (2009-05-05). Retrieved 2011-06-22.

Microsoft Studios. How-To Geek. How-To Geek. Archived from on September 10, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2017.

Leonhard, Woody (2007). P. ^ Kaushik. Retrieved 2019-09-28. Rambo, Dant (15 October 2012).

Retrieved 10 August 2013. Orland, Kyle (27 October 2012).

Ars Technica. Retrieved 10 August 2013.

Hay, Richard. Windows Observer. Kamen, Matt (30 July 2015).

August 1, 2015. Archived from on August 4, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2017. Walker, Alissa (July 29, 2015). Retrieved January 20, 2017.

Chalk, Andy (July 29, 2015). Retrieved January 20, 2017.

31 July 2015. Meer, Alec (July 30, 2015). Gonnering realty. Rock, Paper, Shotgun.

Retrieved January 20, 2017. Weinberger, Matt (August 18, 2015). Retrieved January 20, 2017.Further reading. Kaye, Richard (March 2000). Mathematical Intelligencer.

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Top 5 Free Game in the Windows Store. Play the classic puzzle game that has been a part of Windows for more than 20 years, now reimagined for Windows 10. Classic Mode Play the logic game you know and love, now with updated graphics and sound.

Play with a touchscreen or with a mouse and keyboard to mark the locations of all the mines without uncovering any of them. Start with an Easy puzzle and work your way up to Expert.

NEW GAME MODE - Adventure Mode Players who want a different kind of challenge can try this brand new game mode. Use your skills in Adventure mode to guide your brave hero to the center of Earth, collecting riches along the way.

Blending traditional Minesweeper rules with fun new goals, Adventure Mode is a fresh take on a classic. NEW FEATURE - Daily Challenges Players receive new challenges each day. Complete enough Daily Challenges in a month to earn badges and compete with your friends.

Xbox Live Integration Sign in with your Microsoft account to earn achievements, compete with your friends on the leaderboards, and track your personal gameplay statistics. If you sign in with a Microsoft account, your progress is stored in the cloud so you can play the game on any device without missing a beat. Top 5 Free Game in the Windows Store. Play the classic puzzle game that has been a part of Windows for more than 20 years, now reimagined for Windows 10. Classic Mode Play the logic game you know and love, now with updated graphics and sound.

Play with a touchscreen or with a mouse and keyboard to mark the locations of all the mines without uncovering any of them. Start with an Easy puzzle and work your way up to Expert. NEW GAME MODE - Adventure Mode Players who want a different kind of challenge can try this brand new game mode.

Use your skills in Adventure mode to guide your brave hero to the center of Earth, collecting riches along the way. Blending traditional Minesweeper rules with fun new goals, Adventure Mode is a fresh take on a classic. NEW FEATURE - Daily Challenges Players receive new challenges each day.

Complete enough Daily Challenges in a month to earn badges and compete with your friends. Xbox Live Integration Sign in with your Microsoft account to earn achievements, compete with your friends on the leaderboards, and track your personal gameplay statistics.

If you sign in with a Microsoft account, your progress is stored in the cloud so you can play the game on any device without missing a beat. Full Specifications GeneralPublisherPublisher web siteRelease DateJune 01, 2017Date AddedJune 01, 2017VersionCategoryCategorySubcategoryOperating SystemsOperating SystemsWindows 10/MobileAdditional RequirementsAvailable for Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 Mobile, Windows Phone 8.1, Windows Phone 8 (ARM, x86, x64)Download InformationFile SizeNot AvailableFile NameExternal FilePopularityTotal Downloads445Downloads Last Week7PricingLicense ModelFreeLimitationsNot availablePriceFree.