How to play BoomBoomBattle

The idea

32 players, each on their own minesweeper board, all equally hard. Every round, half of them go through, down to a final of 4.

Playing minesweeper

Your board hides mines. Open a cell: if it’s safe, it shows how many mines touch it, diagonals included. A cell that touches none opens its neighbors by itself.

111

To clear your board, open every safe cell. Everything can be worked out from the numbers, with no guessing ever needed.

One life

Hit a mine and your game stops, but your board still counts for qualifying. The first tap is always safe.

Who goes through?

1. Cleared boards, in the order they finished.
2. Then how much of the board is open.
3. If still tied, whoever blew up later: staying in the game pays.

End of a round

As soon as every spot is taken, when the clock runs out (anyone still playing blows up), or when no one is left playing.

Final

The first to clear their board wins. Otherwise, the podium follows the same ranking.

The rounds

• Round 1 · 32 players → 16 qualify · 9×9, 10 mines · 60 s
• Round 2 · 16 players → 8 qualify · 9×12, 16 mines · 90 s
• Round 3 · 8 players → 4 qualify · 9×14, 20 mines · 120 s
• Final · 4 players → podium · 9×14, 24 mines · 150 s

Controls

On a phone

Tap to open a cell. Switch between Dig and Flag to mark a mine. Tap a number whose flags are all placed to open its neighbors.

On a computer

Left click to open, right click to flag, click a number to open its neighbors.