XMINE(6)

NAME
xmine - identify mines in a mine field without getting blown up

SYNOPSIS
xmine

DESCRIPTION
xmine is an X11-based version of the popular PC game Minesweeper. The object is to place flags on mines on the game board without exposing them. If you expose a mine, it "explodes" and the game ends. Exposed mines appear as black capital "M" characters.

To begin, click the first mouse button anywhere on the field. A series of numbers will be revealed. The number in each square corresponds to the number of mines that border that square, including diagonals. Squares that do not border mines are empty.

Once you have determined the location of a mine, flag it by clicking with the third mouse button. Flags appear as capital "X" characters which are red on color displays. Once you have marked all the mines surrounding a number, click the middle mouse button to reveal the contents of the un-mined squares surrounding it. If you flag a mine incorrectly and force an unflagged mine to be revealed, the game ends.

The number at the top left of the game board displays the number of mines left for you to identify. At the top right is a timer that indicates the number of seconds for which the game has been running. High scores are achieved by having the fastest time for a skill level.

There are four levels of game play: beginner, intermediate, expert, and custom, set using the Game menu. For each level, the number of mines and the size of the board increase:

beginner
    has 10 mines in an 8x8 board.

intermediate
    has 40 mines in a 16x16 board.

expert
    has 99 mines in a 16x39 board.

custom
    allows you to specify your own board dimensions and number of mines.

If you choose Marks [?] from the Game menu, you may place question marks on squares by clicking twice with the third mouse button. Although they may be helpful for deducing the location of mines, they are not treated as flagged mines when you click with the middle mouse button on a numbered square.

AUTHOR
Paul Falstad
Manual entry written by Linda Branagan.