Minesweeper Duel

Minesweeper Duel turns the classic solo puzzle into a turn-based game for two. You and your opponent share one board and open cells in turn. Each cell you open scores points, and opening a mine loses the game on the spot.

The in-game rules explain it in a few slides:

A number shows how many mines are in the neighbouring cells, just like normal Minesweeper.
Players move in turn. Opening a cell scores points equal to its number. Opening an empty area scores 10 points.
If you open a mine, you lose immediately. You also win if your opponent runs out of time.

The menu has a lot of modes: Play single, Play with computer, Play online, Play online with friends and Play together. Play together is the one for two people on the same device. It asks "Use app as a board to play together?" and then lets you set up the game:

Time control: unlimited, or chess-style clocks from 1+0 (bullet) up to 30+0 (classical).
Board type: Novice, Amateur or Professional.
Who goes first, and an option to turn on hints.

We played a Novice game: a 9 by 9 board with 10 mines, with part of the board already opened to give you a start. Each player has a clock, a score and a move list on the right. When we opened a "2", we got 2 points and the clock switched to the other player.

Note: the game opened in Chinese for us. You can change the language with the globe icon on the left.

How to play

Choose Play together, answer Yes, pick a time control and a board type, then press Start.
On your turn, open one cell. You score the number on it, or 10 points for an empty area.
Hand over to your opponent. Their clock starts.
Whoever opens a mine loses at once. If the board is cleared, the higher score wins.

Tips

Safe small numbers are fine. A sure 1 point is better than a risky 3.
Leave your opponent with only risky cells. The real skill is making them guess.
Use the clocks. In a fast time control, a player who thinks too long loses on time.
Learning? Turn on hints, or play the computer first.

Like logic games? Try dots and boxes 2 player or Reversi Multiplayer.

Frequently asked questions

Can two people play Minesweeper Duel on the same device?

Yes. Choose Play together and answer Yes to use the app as a board. You take turns on one screen.

How do you score points?

Each cell you open scores its number. Opening an empty area scores 10 points.

What happens if you open a mine?

You lose immediately. You also lose if your clock runs out.

What board sizes are there?

Novice, Amateur and Professional. Novice is a 9 by 9 board with 10 mines.

The game is not in English. How do I change it?

Click the globe icon on the left side of the menu and pick English.