Mines is a fast instant game found in many casino lobbies. Before each round the game hides your chosen number of mines under the 25 tiles of a 5x5 grid. Tap tiles to uncover safe squares, watch the multiplier rise, and press Cash Out before you hit a mine. The rules take minutes to learn; the tension comes from deciding when to stop. This guide covers the rules and the screen step by step. Tactics are in our guide to Mines strategies.
Step 1: set up a round
Choose your stake. Use the plus and minus buttons or the keypad next to the bet field. The stake stays fixed until the round ends.
Choose the number of mines. Most versions allow 1 to 24. Treat it as a difficulty setting:
| Mines | Risk | Multipliers | Chance first tile is safe |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | Low | Modest | 96% to 88% |
| 4 to 7 | Medium | Balanced | 84% to 72% |
| 8 or more | High | Large and volatile | 68% or less |
Read the payout table. Once you set the mine count, the game shows the multiplier for each safe tile in a row. It tells you exactly what you would collect if you cashed out after any tap, so check it before you start.
Start the round. Press Play or Start. The game locks your stake and mine count, places the mines at random and opens the grid. You can only change the stake and mine count between rounds.
Step 2: play the round
Tap a tile. It flips to show a gem (safe) or a mine. The multiplier and the potential payout above the grid update at once.
Watch the multiplier climb. With 3 mines a common progression is 1.14x after one safe tile, 1.30x after two, 1.49x after three, 1.72x after four and 2.00x after five. The figures always match the payout table.
Cash out or continue. After any safe tile the Cash Out button becomes active; on a phone it usually sits under the grid. Press it to end the round and collect the payout shown. Tap another tile to chase a higher multiplier, but each safe tile you take out leaves the mines a bigger share of what is left.
How a round ends:
- You cash out: your balance goes up by stake × multiplier, and a Play Again button appears.
- You hit a mine: the tile explodes, your stake is lost and the grid resets for the next round.
Step 3: the screen around the grid
- Result banner: shows Win with the multiplier you collected, or Bust if you hit a mine.
- Balance: your account total stays visible in the casino bar, so you can follow wins and losses without leaving the game.
- Round history: many versions list your last 10 to 20 rounds with time, stake and result. Use it to check payouts.
- Sound and animation: safe tiles chime and mines explode. You can mute them in settings without changing the game.
Key points to remember
- The mine count sets the difficulty. Fewer mines give a calmer game with smaller multipliers; more mines raise both.
- Revealed tiles stay open. A safe tile never turns back, so each one leaves fewer tiles to choose from, with the same number of mines among them.
- Cashing out is part of the game. When to press it is the one real decision in each round.
- Rounds are independent. A random number generator places the mines each round; one round has no effect on the next. Many versions are provably fair, so you can check the placement afterwards. Read whether Mines games are really provably fair.
Games similar to Mines
If you like the way Mines lets you set your own risk, try crash games, Plinko and Dice. Coinflip and Limbo use different formats with the same fast, provably fair design.
Play for fun, with limits
Mines is entertainment. A round can take seconds on a phone, so set a spending limit, take regular breaks and stop when it stops being fun. If you feel you are losing control, use the casino's self-exclusion tools or get help through our responsible gaming page.
