"Minesweeper" turns 35: From Windows classic to subscription horror
On 8 October 1990, Microsoft released the mini-game "Minesweeper". If you want to play it today, you have to turn your back on Microsoft.
One of the "Minesweeper" clones with a classic design and no unnecessary subscription.
(Image: heise medien)
“Minesweeper” celebrates its 35th birthday. The game was released on 8 October 1990 as part of Microsoft's Entertainment Pack for Windows. From Windows 3.1 to Windows 7, it was an integral part of every Microsoft operating system—alongside other passing classics such as “Solitaire” and “Pinball”.
The game principle of “Minesweeper” is extremely simple: there are a certain number of mines in a gridded rectangle. The player clicks on any square and is then shown how many mines there are in the surrounding eight squares. Using the number combinations of adjacent squares, you have to work out which squares are safe and which contain bombs. The player who correctly right-clicks on all bomb squares and thus places a flag on them wins.
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From Microsoft only with advertising or subscription
However, since Windows 8 in 2012, Microsoft has banned its classic games, such as “Minesweeper,” from its own operating systems. In the Microsoft Store, interested parties only get a loveless “Minesweeper” remake from Xbox Game Studios, including ads to entice players into an annual subscription. This also includes the cheat that allows you to continue playing even though you have triggered a mine.
(Image:Â heise medien)
For this reason, Microsoft's current “Minesweeper” is banned from global leaderboards. Instead, there are free and largely ad-free browser versions such as minesweeper.online with the old design. Included: leaderboards (also seasonal), tournaments, and championships.
The currently recognized world record for a so-called expert game with 30 x 16 squares and 99 mines is held by the Chinese teenager Ze-en Ju, aka JZE. He set the latest record of 25.1 seconds in 2024 at the age of 16.
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