Launch Time!

After plenty of time and work, I have finally launched my first game on Steam! This has been a very exciting experience, and I hope anybody looking for a high quality Minesweeper experience is happy with what they find.

Steam post image The left image informs the user of the shape of the cells in the board; the white cell considers all of the red tiles to be its neighbors. The rules in the image reflect the standard minesweeper rules. Certain game types, like Adventure, will make use of various patterns during your gameplay.

The happy face will reset the board, using current settings.

The arrow opens the settings menu, allowing you to make changes or exit to the main menu. Many settings will not take place until there is a new game. Certain game types, like adventure, will create random settings for you while you play.

I would like to go over a few features and potentially unexpected interactions:

Flag Victory

In order to speed up the end of the game, and allow for situations with unavoidable randomness to be happily resolved, you can win a game by EITHER revealing all non-mine tiles, or by flagging all mines without any incorrect flags.

Edge Wrap

Steam post image If edge wrap is enabled, then the edges of the board connect across to the opposite side. This reduces/removes edges and corners. There is a "Jump" button that will teleport you to the opposite end of the board, to allow for easier peeking. Horizontal and Vertical edge wrap are toggled separately.

Chording

Steam post image Steam post image If a cell already has the expected number of mines around it, it can be clicked/revealed to reveal any remaining cells around it. This allows for intelligent, efficient, and quick play.

Steam post image Steam post image Chording also works with flagging; simply flag a square with the exact required amount of remaining tiles around it and any unrevealed cells will be flagged. This number can a combination of any unrevealed spaces, flags, or potential exposed mines. With both styles of chording, the board can be processed very quickly.

Step Mode

Steam post image Steam post image Step mode is an alternative form of play, where your performance is measured not in time elapsed, but the number of revealing steps used in completing the board. In this mode, revealing a tile marks it to be stepped, and you can flag tiles normally. When the "Step" button is pressed, all marked tiles are revealed, incrementing the step counter. Step mode maintains its own set of high scores.

I look forward to seeing how players enjoy the game, and will be keeping track of any features that will further improve the Minesweeper experience.