Minesweeper glossary: A complete reference of Minesweeper terminology, from basic terms every beginner should know to advanced vocabulary used by competitive players.

Minesweeper Terms A–Z

Numbers & Symbols

3BV (Bechtel’s Board Benchmark Value) — A measure of the minimum number of left-clicks required to solve a board without using chording. Higher 3BV means a harder, more labor-intensive board. Used in speedrunning to compare performances across different boards.

3BV/s — 3BV divided by solve time in seconds. A standardized efficiency metric for comparing speed across boards of different complexity.

A

Adjacent — The up-to-eight squares surrounding a given square (horizontally, vertically, and diagonally). Every number in Minesweeper counts adjacent mines.

B

Blank — A revealed square with zero adjacent mines. Also called a “zero.” Clicking a blank triggers zero-propagation, automatically revealing all its neighbors.

Board — The rectangular grid of squares that makes up a Minesweeper game. Standard sizes are 9×9 (Beginner), 16×16 (Intermediate), and 30×16 (Expert).

C

Chord — To click a revealed number whose adjacent flag count matches its value, automatically revealing all unflagged neighbors. Also called “double-click” in some versions.

Covered — A square that has not been revealed or flagged. Its contents are unknown to the player.

Custom — A non-standard board size where the player selects the grid dimensions and mine count.

D

Density — The ratio of mines to total squares on a board. Beginner is ~12%, Intermediate ~16%, Expert ~21%. Higher density means harder deductions.

Deduction — Using number clues and known mine positions to logically determine whether a covered square is safe or a mine, without guessing.

E

Expert — The hardest standard difficulty: a 30×16 grid with 99 mines (20.6% density).

F

50/50 — A situation where logic cannot determine which of two squares is a mine. The player must guess with equal probability. Also written “fifty-fifty.”

Flag — A marker placed on a covered square (via right-click) to indicate a suspected mine. Flags prevent accidental left-clicks and aid in counting.

Flagging Style (FL) — A play style that uses flags. Contrasted with No Flags (NF) style.

G

Guess — Clicking a covered square without logical certainty that it is safe. Guesses range from 50/50s to educated guesses with better odds.

I

Intermediate — The middle standard difficulty: a 16×16 grid with 40 mines (15.6% density).

Island — An isolated group of revealed squares not connected to the main opening. Islands require separate analysis.

M

Mine — A hidden danger beneath a covered square. Clicking a mine ends the game.

Mine Counter — The display showing the total number of mines minus the number of placed flags. It helps track remaining mines.

N

NF (No Flags) — A play style where the player never places flags, relying entirely on left-clicks and chording is not used. Popular in speedrunning.

Number — A revealed safe square displaying a digit from 1 to 8, indicating how many of its adjacent squares contain mines.

O

Opening — The large area of blank and numbered squares revealed by clicking a blank square. Good first clicks produce large openings that provide ample starting information.

P

Pattern — A recurring arrangement of numbers and covered squares that experienced players recognize on sight. Common patterns include 1-1, 1-2-1, and 1-2-2-1.

R

Revealed — A square that has been uncovered, showing either a number or a blank.

S

Safe — A square that does not contain a mine. The goal is to reveal all safe squares.

Satisfied — A number whose adjacent flag count equals its value. All remaining covered neighbors of a satisfied number are safe.

Z

Zero — A revealed square with no adjacent mines. See Blank.

Zero-propagation — The automatic chain reaction when a blank (zero) is revealed: all its neighbors are revealed, and if any of those are also blanks, their neighbors are revealed too. This creates the large openings characteristic of Minesweeper.

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