Open a square to reveal it
If the square contains a number, use it to count nearby mines
Use the numbers to determine which adjacent squares must be mines
Flag squares you believe contain mines using flags
Open remaining unflagged squares around numbers to continue solving
If you open a mine, the game ends
If you open all non-mine squares, the game is won
Use edge and corner numbers (fewer adjacent squares) to narrow possibilities
Apply common patterns:
A number with all adjacent squares flagged is complete
If the number equals the count of remaining unopened adjacent squares, flag them all
If the number equals the count of flagged adjacent squares, open all other adjacent unopened squares
Avoid guessing when possible; if you must guess, pick the square with the lowest implied mine probability