Minesweeper Game Database (2024)

Microsoft and Arkadium released Microsoft Minesweeper in 2012.

Windows 8 removed Minesweeper from the operating system and moved the game into the Microsoft Store as a download. The game was re-programmed by Arkadium. The company added advertisements in the free version and created a new Adventure Mode. In Adventure Mode you race across the screen continuously, collecting objects and avoiding obstacles. They also added online challenges and leaderboards; for example, there might be a challenge to kill 100 monsters or to solve the 1-2-1 pattern under 3 seconds 20 times. The game also became cross-platform for Windows, Windows Phone and XBox.

The game was re-written in 2022 using Unity and this 4.x branch added new features like auto-chording, emojis and themes (such as "Retro") in 2023. It also introduced a new Daily Challenges dashboard.

The following attributes can be used to map the evolution of Minesweeper. Blue cells are confirmed attributes for official versions of Microsoft Minesweeper. Yellow cells are unknown.

ID 99

[Machine] IBM PC Clone
[OS] Windows (Windows 8)

Minesweeper release. Published on 2012-07-27. Published in the Windows Store.

No downloads have been added for this release.

ID 100

[Machine] IBM PC Clone
[OS] Windows (Windows 10)

Minesweeper release (4.x). Published no later than 2022-12-31. Minesweeper was re-written in Unity (previously in .NET and XAML). In 2023 new themes were added along with an auto-chording option.

No downloads have been added for this release.

ID 99

[Machine] IBM PC Clone
[OS] Windows (Windows 8)

Minesweeper release. Published on 2012-07-27. Published in the Windows Store.

ID 100

[Machine] IBM PC Clone
[OS] Windows (Windows 10)

Minesweeper (4.x) release. Published no later than 2022-12-31. Minesweeper was re-written in Unity (previously in .NET and XAML). In 2023 new themes were added along with an auto-chording option.

ID 99

[Machine] IBM PC Clone
[OS] Windows for Windows 8

Minesweeper release. Published on 2012-07-27.

ID 100

[Machine] IBM PC Clone
[OS] Windows for Windows 10

Minesweeper release. Published no later than 2022-12-31.

• Minesweeper was published in the Windows Store on 2012-07-27 and was pre-installed in Windows 8 on 2012-10-26.
• The final release of 3.x was version 3.1.9160.0 in 2022.
• In 2013 Mark Heath discovered "Once your score goes above 2147483648 (2^31) it starts to go back down as you collect more treasure". The score is held as a 32 bit signed integer.

• Microsoft Casual Games
  https://microsoftcasualgames.com/#minesweeper
  Homepage for release ID99. Date published unknown.
• Microsoft Minesweeper - Xbox Game Studios
  https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/microsoft-minesweeper/9wzdncrfhwcn
  Homepage for release ID99. Date published unknown.
• MSN Games
  https://zone.msn.com/en/msminesweeper/default.htm
  Homepage for release ID99. Date published unknown. Online version.
  
• Microsoft Minesweeper - Xbox Game Studios
  https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/microsoft-minesweeper/9wzdncrfhwcn
  Homepage for release ID100. Date published unknown.
• Microsoft Minesweeper - Xbox Game Studios
  https://www.microsoft.com/en-ms/p/microsoft-minesweeper/9wzdncrfhwcn
  Homepage for release ID100. Date published unknown.
• Microsoft pursues cross-platform social games with Arkadium
  http://gamasutra.com/view/news/128914/Microsoft_pursues_crossplatform_social_games_with_Arkadium.php
  Article for release ID99. Date published 2012-01-04. Microsoft and Arkadium announcement strategic partnership.
  
• Reinventing Minesweeper: It was almost purple
  https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/reinventing-i-minesweeper-i-it-was-almost-purple
  Article for release ID99. Date published 2012-09-18. Interview with the Senior Vice President of Arkadium’s Games for Windows division.
  
• ARKADIUM ON REVAMPING SOLITAIRE, MAHJONG, AND MINESWEEPER FOR WINDOWS 8
  https://www.gamezebo.com/news/arkadium-on-revamping-solitaire-mahjong-and-minesweeper-for-windows-8-interview/
  Article for release ID99. Date published 2012-10-15. Interview with the Senior Vice President of Arkadium’s Games for Windows division.
  
• The new and updated games of Windows 8
  https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2012/10/the-new-and-updated-games-of-windows-8/
  Review for release ID99. Date published 2012-10-27. One of the first reviews of Windows 8 Minesweeper.
  
• How many levels are there in Minesweeper adventure mode?
  https://gaming.stackexchange.com/questions/97856/how-many-levels-are-there-in-minesweeper-adventure-mode
  Article for release ID99. Date published 2012-12-30. A player investigates how many levels there are in Microsoft Minesweeper.
  
• Microsoft Minesweeper
  https://www.facebook.com/microsoftminesweeper/
  Homepage for release ID99, ID100. Date published 2013-11-27.