In this chapter, you will program a simplified version of Minesweeper, the popular computer game. This version includes logic to respond to left and right mouse clciks and maintaining a timer. The game must also keep track of a two-dimensional minefield, the location of hidden mines, and the marks made by the player on the minefield while playing the game.

Games Programming was written by Catherine Dwyer and Jeanine Meyer. It was offered as a class by Course Technology (Cengage Learning); you bought the book and downloaded files from the student website. Chapter 8 (pp143-176) is a detailed explanation of how to program the game. Since this is a tutorial the game does not include features such as a safe first click, questionmarks or chording. In addition, the New Game button randomises the number of mines at the start of each game.

The compiled version of the game is in the self-extracting file 0619035617_233923.exe folder Chapter 8. Special thanks to Cengage for providing these files to MSGAME in 2023 from their archive of discontinued courses.

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