Ten patterns, each with a practice board. Understand the reason, and the shape becomes second nature.
In every example, only the squares marked ? are unknown. Blank gaps sit outside the exercise, and flags are confirmed mines.
Basic Minesweeper patterns
The 1-1 pattern at an edge
At the left boundary, the first 1 sees the first two covered squares. The second 1 sees those same two plus one extra. Their mine counts match, so the extra square is safe.
11
Choose a conclusion, then tap a covered square.
The 1-2 pattern at an edge
The left 1 accounts for one mine in the first two squares. The 2 needs one more mine, and only its extra right-hand square can supply it.
12
Choose a conclusion, then tap a covered square.
The 1-2-1 pattern
Along this closed edge, the outside squares are mines and the middle square is safe. Compare each 1 with the 2; do not use the shortcut when extra covered neighbors touch the clues.
121
Choose a conclusion, then tap a covered square.
The 1-1-1 pattern at a boundary
The central clue allows only one mine across all three squares. To touch both outside clues, that mine must sit in the middle.
111
Choose a conclusion, then tap a covered square.
A 1 in the corner
The corner clue has only one covered neighbor in this isolated position. That neighbor must be the mine. A real corner can have up to three neighbors: check which ones remain covered.
1
Choose a conclusion, then tap a covered square.
Intermediate Minesweeper patterns
The 1-2-2-1 pattern
The two middle covered squares contain the mines. Each outside 1 is then satisfied, making the outside covered squares safe.
1221
Choose a conclusion, then tap a covered square.
Read 2-1-2 and 2-2-2 in context
Neither sequence is a universal rule. These clues have covered neighbors on more than one side. Start at the revealed zeroes, then compare the full neighborhoods. Switch example to examine the 2-2-2 frontier.
112121
Choose a conclusion, then tap a covered square.
A genuine 50/50
Both clues see the same two unknown squares, with one mine between them. Either placement fits. No local deduction distinguishes the two; information from elsewhere could still help on a larger board.
11
Choose a conclusion, then tap a covered square.
Advanced Minesweeper patterns
A 1-2-1 around a turn
The 1-2-1 bends around a corner, so the straight-edge shortcut does not apply. Open the zero neighbors first. Subtract the remaining neighborhoods to find the mines. The complete surrounding clues are part of the proof.
121111
Choose a conclusion, then tap a covered square.
Reduction: subtract confirmed flags
The flag is a confirmed mine. Subtract it from each touching clue: the left 2 becomes a 1, and the 3 becomes a 2. Compare the remaining covered neighbors to prove the two central mines and the safe right edge.
⚑2321
Choose a conclusion, then tap a covered square.
By MinesweeperHQ · Updated September 27, 2026
What are Minesweeper patterns?
Minesweeper patterns are small groups of numbers that always lead to the same conclusion when their surroundings match. The 1-2-1 and 1-2-2-1 along a closed edge are the best known. Learning them lets you spot safe squares and mines at a glance instead of recounting every neighborhood.
Every pattern above is a proof, not a superstition. If you are new to reading numbers, start with how to play Minesweeper first.
Check the boundary before the numbers
These examples show a closed frontier: the only covered neighbors are the squares drawn above the numbers. Everything beside and below the clues is already known safe. Extra covered squares can invalidate a pattern. Rotate a position if helpful, but always preserve which squares touch each clue.
Subtract flags first
A visible 3 beside two confirmed flags behaves like a 1 for its remaining covered neighbors. Reduce each clue this way, then compare the neighborhoods. This turns complicated-looking situations into familiar deductions. Our guide on how to win Minesweeper walks through subtraction on larger positions.
A real 50/50 has no forced answer
If a 1 touches only two covered squares and no other clue distinguishes them, either square may contain the mine. Do not mistake a preference for proof. Other parts of the board or the total mine count may still provide information; a local tie is not always a global tie. To practice without these coin flips, play No Guess Minesweeper, or enter a stuck position into the Minesweeper solver to check whether a certain move remains.
Minesweeper