The object of the game is to clear an abstract minefield without detonating a mine.
When the game is started, the player is presented with a grid of gray squares. The size of the grid is dependent on the skill level chosen by the player, with higher skill levels having larger grids. If the player clicks on a square without a mine, a digit is revealed in that square, the digit indicating the number of adjacent squares (typically, out of the possible 8) which contain mines. By using logic, players can in many instances use this information to deduce that certain other squares are mine-free (or mine-filled), and proceed to click on additional squares to clear them or mark them with flag graphics to indicate the presence of a mine.