Microsoft Minesweeper

Last updated
Microsoft Minesweeper
Minesweeper in Windows 10 Expert Full Screen.png
Microsoft Minesweeper for Windows 10 from Microsoft Store
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)
Platform(s)
Included with
Available for
[1]
Genre(s) Puzzle
Mode(s) Single-player

Microsoft Minesweeper (formerly just Minesweeper, and also known as Flower Field) is a minesweeper-type video game created by Curt Johnson, originally for IBM's OS/2, that was ported to Microsoft Windows by Robert Donner, both Microsoft employees at the time. First released as part of the Microsoft Entertainment Pack 1 in 1990, it was first included in the standard install of Windows 3.1 in 1992, replacing Reversi from Windows 3.0. [2] Microsoft Minesweeper was included without major changes in all subsequent Windows releases until Windows Vista, at which time an updated version by Oberon Media replaced it. [3] In Windows 8 and later the game is not included with a fresh Windows install, but Microsoft Studios has published an updated version of it, developed by Arkadium, on Microsoft Store. [4] [5] [6]

Contents

Gameplay

The goal of Minesweeper is to uncover all the squares on a grid that do not contain mines without being "blown up" by clicking on a square with a mine underneath. The location of most mines is discovered through a logical process, but some require guessing, usually with a 50-50 chance of being correct. 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 mouse button; however, if a player is unsure if a square is safe or not, they can tag it with a question mark (?). 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. [7]

Evolution

The Windows 98 version of Microsoft Minesweeper Minesweeper in Windows 98 Expert Level.png
The Windows 98 version of Microsoft Minesweeper

In early versions of the game, a cheat code let players peek beneath the tiles. [8]

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. [9]

Minesweeper Flags

In 2003, Microsoft created a variation called Minesweeper Flags in MSN Messenger, which is played against an opponent with the objective to find the mines rather than the surrounding squares. [10]

A version of Minesweeper Flags for Xbox 360 was developed by TikGames LLC and published by Microsoft Studios on the Xbox Live Arcade in 2010. [11]

Windows Vista and Windows 7

The "Flower Field" version of Minesweeper, developed by Oberon Media, shows a garden blooming when the game is lost. It is the default in specific distributions of Windows. Minesweeper in Windows 7 Intermediate Flowers.png
The "Flower Field" version of Minesweeper, developed by Oberon Media, shows a garden blooming when the game is lost. It is the default in specific distributions of Windows.

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 Aero look. It also came with a more peaceful "flower" motif (called "Flower Garden") to replace the landmines (a game style called "Minesweeper"). [2] The visual change also allowed for the Board to be "Silver and Blue" or "Green". [12] This iteration of Minesweeper was created by Oberon Media. The controversy over the land mine 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. [12] 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 Windows 8 and instead published it as a free game on the Microsoft Store. The new version is developed by Arkadium and is ad-supported. [13] [14] The initial release was supported by 30-second video ads. Later releases had monthly and annual subscription options to remove the ads. [15] [16] [17] Multiple news outlets criticized the change as greedy. [18] [19] [20] [21] 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: Classic (8x8), Easy (9x9), Medium (16x16), Expert (30x16), Custom, Adventure, and Daily Challenges. "Retro" theme or the default modern theme are available. On the main menu, there are sections for Awards, Leaderboards, Statistics, and Tutorials.

Some of the game options are only relevant for a touchscreen, like the flag mode and swiping.

Reception

Business Insider called the game an "iconic part" of the Windows operating system. [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DirectX</span> Collection of multimedia related APIs on Microsoft platforms

Microsoft DirectX is a collection of application programming interfaces (APIs) for handling tasks related to multimedia, especially game programming and video, on Microsoft platforms. Originally, the names of these APIs all began with "Direct", such as Direct3D, DirectDraw, DirectMusic, DirectPlay, DirectSound, and so forth. The name DirectX was coined as a shorthand term for all of these APIs and soon became the name of the collection. When Microsoft later set out to develop a gaming console, the X was used as the basis of the name Xbox to indicate that the console was based on DirectX technology. The X initial has been carried forward in the naming of APIs designed for the Xbox such as XInput and the Cross-platform Audio Creation Tool (XACT), while the DirectX pattern has been continued for Windows APIs such as Direct2D and DirectWrite.

<i>Full Tilt! Pinball</i> 1995 video game

Full Tilt! Pinball is a pinball video game developed by Cinematronics and published by Maxis in 1995. It features pre-rendered 3D graphics and three tables: Space Cadet, Skullduggery, and Dragon's Keep. On each table, side displays show the players' scores, ball numbers, player numbers, various other information, and a table-specific image.

Microsoft Plus! is a discontinued commercial operating system enhancement product by Microsoft. The last edition is the Plus! SuperPack, which includes an assortment of screensavers, themes, and games, as well as multimedia applications. The Microsoft Plus! product was first announced on January 31, 1994, under the internal codename "Frosting". The first edition was an enhancement for Windows 95, Windows 95 Plus!

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Games for Windows – Live</span> Former online gaming service

Games for Windows – Live or GFWL was an online gaming service used by Games for Windows–branded PC titles that enables Windows PCs to connect to Microsoft's Live service. Users, each with a unique Gamertag, are able to play online, keep track of their friends' status, send and receive messages, gain and keep track of Achievements and associated Gamerscore, voice chat across platforms, and more. Some games allow for cross-platform play, such as Shadowrun, putting Windows players against Xbox 360 players.

There were various games and applications available in Windows Live Messenger that could be accessed via the conversation window by clicking the games icon and challenging a "buddy".

Games for Windows is a discontinued brand owned by Microsoft and introduced in 2006 to coincide with the release of the Windows Vista operating system. The brand itself represents a standardized technical certification program and online service for Windows games, bringing a measure of regulation to the PC game market in much the same way that console manufacturers regulate their platforms. The branding program was open to both first-party and third-party publishers.

<i>Microsoft Mahjong</i> 2012 video game

Microsoft Mahjong is a computer game version of mahjong solitaire published by Microsoft. The version titled Mahjong Titans was developed by Oberon Games and included in Windows Vista and Windows 7. It takes advantage of the new graphical user interface (GUI) of Windows Vista, and includes features such as tile set and background choices. The game did not make it to Windows 8; however, a standalone version, developed by Arkadium and published by Microsoft Studios, can be downloaded from the Windows Store free of charge and played without download on the web.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Microsoft Spider Solitaire</span> Solitaire game in Microsoft Windows

Spider Solitaire, also known as Microsoft Spider Solitaire, is a solitaire (NA)/patience (EU) card game that is included in Microsoft Windows. It is a version of Spider. As of 2005, it was the most played game on Windows PCs, surpassing the shorter and less challenging Klondike-based Windows Solitaire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Microsoft Solitaire</span> Card game that is included in Microsoft Windows

Solitaire is a computer game included with Microsoft Windows, based on a card game of the same name, also known as Klondike. Its original version was programmed by Wes Cherry, and the cards were designed by Susan Kare.

<i>Microsoft Entertainment Pack</i> Series of computer game compilations

Microsoft Entertainment Pack, also known as Windows Entertainment Pack or simply WEP, is a collection of 16-bit casual computer games for Windows. There were four Entertainment Packs released between 1990 and 1992. These games were somewhat unusual for the time, in that they would not run under MS-DOS. In 1994, a compilation of the previous four Entertainment Packs were released called The Best of Microsoft Entertainment Pack. A Game Boy Color version was released in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minesweeper (video game)</span> Puzzle video game

Minesweeper is a logic puzzle video game genre generally played on personal computers. The game features a grid of clickable tiles, with hidden "mines" scattered throughout the board. The objective is to clear the board without detonating any mines, with help from clues about the number of neighboring mines in each field. Variants of Minesweeper have been made that expand on the basic concepts, such as Minesweeper X, Crossmines, and Minehunt. Minesweeper has been incorporated as a minigame in other games, such as RuneScape and Minecraft's 2015 April Fools update.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Microsoft Store</span> Digital distribution platform for Microsoft Windows, Xbox One and Series X/S

The Microsoft Store is a digital distribution platform operated by Microsoft. It was created as an app store for Windows 8 as the primary means of distributing Universal Windows Platform apps. With Windows 10 1803, Microsoft merged its other distribution platforms into Microsoft Store, making it a unified distribution point for apps, console games, and digital videos. Digital music was included until the end of 2017, and E-books were included until 2019.

The Xbox system software is the operating system developed exclusively for Microsoft's Xbox home video game consoles. Across the four generations of Xbox consoles, the software has been based on a version of Microsoft Windows and incorporating DirectX features optimized for the home consoles. The user interface, the Xbox Dashboard, provides access to games, media players, and applications, and integrates with the Xbox network for online functionality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windows 10</span> Tenth major release of Windows NT, released in 2015

Windows 10 is a major release of Microsoft's Windows NT operating system. It is the direct successor to Windows 8.1, which was released nearly two years earlier. It was released to manufacturing on July 15, 2015, and later to retail on July 29, 2015. Windows 10 was made available for download via MSDN and TechNet, as a free upgrade for retail copies of Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 users via the Microsoft Store, and to Windows 7 users via Windows Update. Windows 10 receives new builds on an ongoing basis, which are available at no additional cost to users, in addition to additional test builds of Windows 10, which are available to Windows Insiders. Devices in enterprise environments can receive these updates at a slower pace, or use long-term support milestones that only receive critical updates, such as security patches, over their ten-year lifespan of extended support. In June 2021, Microsoft announced that support for Windows 10 editions which are not in the Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) will end on October 14, 2025.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mail (Windows)</span> Conflation of two applications developed by Microsoft

Mail is an email client developed by Microsoft and included in Windows Vista and later versions of Windows. It is available as the successor to Outlook Express, which was either included with, or released for Internet Explorer 3.0 and later versions of Internet Explorer. It is set to be replaced by Outlook for Windows.

<i>Microsoft Solitaire Collection</i> 2012 video game

Microsoft Solitaire Collection is a video game developed by Microsoft Casual Games and published by Xbox Game Studios for Microsoft Windows. It combines the Solitaire, FreeCell and Spider Solitaire titles that were included with previous versions of Windows. It also introduces Pyramid and TriPeaks to Windows for the first time, as well as new daily challenges and themes. Unlike the games included in Windows 7 and earlier versions, Microsoft Solitaire Collection is freemium adware with Xbox Live integration.

References

  1. ↑ "Get Microsoft Minesweeper - Microsoft Store en-GB". Microsoft .
  2. 1 2 "Column from Tony "Tablesaw" Delgado about puzzle games". Gamesetwatch.com. 2007-02-26. Archived from the original on 2018-10-11. Retrieved 2011-06-22.
  3. ↑ Cobbett, Richard (2009-05-05). "The most successful game ever: a history of Minesweeper". TechRadar . Future US . Retrieved 2011-06-22.
  4. ↑ "Microsoft Minesweeper". Microsoft Studios.
  5. ↑ "What Happened to Solitaire and Minesweeper in Windows 8?". How-To Geek. 20 June 2017.
  6. ↑ "You Don't Have to Pay $20 a Year for Solitaire and Minesweeper on Windows 10". How-To Geek. 21 June 2016.
  7. ↑ "Minesweeper: how to play". Windows. Microsoft. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  8. ↑ Leonhard, Woody (2007). Windows Vista all-in-one desk reference for dummies . Wiley. p.  342. ISBN   978-0-471-74941-7.
  9. ↑ "Minesweeper (Windows, 1990) - the Cutting Room Floor".
  10. ↑ "Minesweeper Flags tips?".
  11. ↑ "Minesweeper Flags on the Xbox 360 Marketplace".
  12. 1 2 Kaushik (10 February 2010). "The Minesweeper Controversy: How Flower Garden came into Windows Vista" . Retrieved 2019-09-28.
  13. ↑ Rambo, Dant (15 October 2012). "Arkadium on revamping Solitaire, Mahjong, and Minesweeper for Windows 8 [Interview]". Gamezebo. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  14. ↑ Orland, Kyle (27 October 2012). "The new and updated games of Windows 8". Ars Technica. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  15. ↑ Hay, Richard. "Microsoft Adds Premium Subscriptions to Windows 8 Games to Remove Ads. Could Built In Apps be next?". Windows Observer.
  16. ↑ Kamen, Matt (30 July 2015). "Windows 10 makes you pay to remove ads from Solitaire". Wired UK.
  17. ↑ "Windows 10: You'll need to pay for Solitaire". Sky News. August 1, 2015. Archived from the original on August 4, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  18. ↑ Walker, Alissa (July 29, 2015). "If You Want Microsoft Solitaire Ad-Free It'll Cost You $10/Year". Gizmodo . Gawker Media . Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  19. ↑ Chalk, Andy (July 29, 2015). "Windows 10 Solitaire requires a subscription to remove ads". PC Gamer . Future plc . Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  20. ↑ "Windows 10: Now you have to pay to play Solitaire". Telegraph.co.uk. 31 July 2015.
  21. ↑ Meer, Alec (July 30, 2015). "How To Stop Windows 10's Spying Ads". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  22. ↑ Weinberger, Matt (August 18, 2015). "Bill Gates was so addicted to Minesweeper, he used to sneak into a colleague's office after work to play". Business Insider Australia. Allure Media . Retrieved January 20, 2017.

Further reading

Listen to this article (7 minutes)
Sound-icon.svg
This audio file was created from a revision of this article dated 29 August 2021 (2021-08-29), and does not reflect subsequent edits.
(Audio help  · More spoken articles)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.