Minesweeper: read the numbers before placing a flag
Learn two reliable Minesweeper deductions, how diagonal neighbors count, and when to switch between Flag and Reveal on TAPA GAME.
A Minesweeper number counts mines in the eight neighboring squares, including diagonals. It does not tell you which side they are on. The first job is to compare that number with the surrounding squares that are still hidden.
TAPA GAME's board has 54 safe squares to uncover. Your first reveal is safe. Flags mark suspected mines, but you win by revealing the safe squares, not by filling every hidden square with a flag.
When a number identifies all its mines
Suppose an open square shows 2, and exactly two of its neighbors remain hidden. Both hidden neighbors must contain mines. The other neighbors are already open, so there is nowhere else for those two mines to be.
That deduction depends on counting every neighboring position. A diagonal hidden square still counts. If you overlook it, a board that appeared certain becomes a guess.
When the remaining neighbors are safe
If a square shows 1 and one of its neighbors is a correctly identified mine, the other neighbors are safe. The clue already has its required mine.
The word correctly matters. A flag you placed on a hunch is not a confirmed mine. Using that flag as if it were certain can make a later reveal fail even though the number was read properly. Keep separate in your reasoning the mines you proved and the squares you merely suspect.
Compare overlapping clues
Two nearby numbers often share hidden neighbors. If one clue has already fixed a mine, use that information when reading the other. Work outward from the open area instead of judging each number as a separate island.
Some positions may not give you a forced move immediately. Recheck the full edge of the revealed area before taking a risk. Finding one overlooked diagonal can change which squares are certain.
Check the mode before tapping
On a phone, switch to Flag mode to mark a suspected mine. Switch back to Reveal to open a square. A tap in the wrong mode can leave a flag where you intended to reveal, or open a square you intended to mark.
On a keyboard, F changes the mode, the arrows move the selection and Space selects a square. The fastest useful habit is not rapid tapping: it is a brief check of the number, all hidden neighbors and the current mode before acting. Speed comes after those decisions become reliable.