# &app; Manual V&manrevision;

## Introduction

GNOME Mines is a variation of the popular logic puzzle minesweeper.

GNOME Mines is included in the `gnome-games` package, which is part of the GNOME desktop environment. This document describes version &version; of GNOME Mines.

## Objective

The object of GNOME Mines is for the player to flag all mines hidden on the playing grid and to uncover all the remaining squares. If the player mistakenly uncovers a square containing a mine the game is lost. Winning games are ranked by how quickly the game was completed.

## Usage

This section describes how to use this application.

### Basic usage

Starting GNOME Mines opens the Main window, shown in fresh-mainwindow-fig.

#### GNOME Mines Main Window

GNOME Mines Main Window.

The bottom of the window shows a game timer on the right and a counter on the left showing how many flags have been placed and how many mines exist.

Play proceeds by uncovering squares with the left mouse button and placing flags with the right mouse button. Successfully uncovered squares yield information: the number of mines in the adjacent squares. begin-play-fig shows a game in play. Note the numbers in the cleared squares and their relation to flags.

#### GNOME Mines In Play

GNOME Mines In Play.
Using the information gathered from the uncovered squares the player forms hypotheses about the location of undiscovered mines.

As flags are added the middle mouse button may be used on the previously uncovered squares. If the number of flags adjacent to that square satisfies the number expected the middle mouse button will automatically uncover all remaining adjacent squares. If a flag has been placed by mistake this action will uncover a mine and end play. fail-fig shows the result of just such a mistake, note the flag in the top row.

#### GNOME Mines Showing A Failed Game

GNOME Mines Showing A Failed Game.

If flags have been correctly placed on all the mines, and the remaining squares have been uncovered the game is won, as shown in won-fig.

#### GNOME Mines Showing A Won Game

GNOME Mines Showing A Won Game.

When the focus moves away from the GNOME Mines window the game is paused and the playing area hidden.

### Basic Strategy

The geometrical arrangement of uncovered and flagged squares often limits the possible locations that can contain hidden mines. basic-corner shows how the location of a mine, pointed to by the arrow, has been inferred using the square on the outside corner showing the numeral one. The geometry of the corner has left only one uncovered square next to the one.

#### Inferring the location of a mine at a corner

Inferring the location of a mine at a corner.

The same strategy has been used in basic-wall where the square showing the number three has only three remaining uncovered squares that can hold mines. to

#### Inferring the location of mines next along a wall

Inferring the location of mines next along a wall.

In the previous cases we found the location of mines using the information from a single uncovered square. More advanced play comes from combining information from two or more uncovered squares. Consider the arrangement of squares in advanced-1.

#### Inferring the location of mines using information from several squares

Inferring the location of mines using information from several squares.

If we focus on the leftmost square showing "1" we know that only a single flag can be contained in the three uncovered squares highlighted in green in advanced-2, thus we can infer where the second flag for the square showing "2" must be placed.

#### finding the first mine by using the leftmost square showing "1"

finding the first mine by using the leftmost square showing "1".

We can now repeat the same process with the rightmost square showing "1" to place the second flag, see advanced-3.

#### finding the second mine by using the rightmost square showing "1"

finding the second mine by using the rightmost square showing "1".

## Menus

The menu bar, located at the top of the Main Window, contains the following menus:

Game

- This menu contains:

  - Ctrl N New game — Start a new game of GNOME Mines.

  - Hint — Uncovers one safe square, but adds ten seconds to your time.

  - Scores... — Display the local GNOME Mines score statistics.

  - Ctrl Q Exit — Quit; exit from GNOME Mines.

Settings

- This menu contains:

  - Preferences... — Bring up the GNOME Mines Preferences dialog, as shown in gnomine-preferences-fig This allows you to choose the size of the playing grid and the number of mines. You can either use one of the pre-defined sizes on the left or create your own by selecting custom and selecting the value you want on the right.

    Also there is an option to use an extra "I'm not sure" flag with a question mark for squares you aren't sure about. These are there for your convenience and are treated as unflagged squares by the game. To mark a square in this way right click on a square already marked with a flag (i.e. right click twice). Clicking it again will clear it.

    All preferences are applied and saved the moment you change them. If you change the size of the grid, a new game is started.

    ### GNOME Mines Preferences Dialog

    GNOME Mines Preferences Dialog.

Help

- This menu contains:

  - Contents — Bring up this help.

  - About... — Bring up the GNOME Mines About window. If you need to know what version of GNOME Mines you are running, who wrote it and who owns the copyright, or you just want it summed up in a pithy sentence then this menu item is for you. No rambling; no beating about the bush. The About window tells it like it is. In fact there is more words in this description than in the entire about box !

## Known Bugs and Limitations

This application has no known bugs.

## Authors

GNOME Mines was written by Pista (szekeres@cyberspace.mht.bme.hu). Please send all comments, suggestions, and bug reports to the GNOME bug tracking database. You can also use Bug Report Tool (`bug-buddy`), available in the Utilities submenu of Main Menu, for submitting bug reports.

This manual was written by Tim Riehle (tkriehle@citilink.com). Please send all comments and suggestions regarding this manual to the GNOME Documentation Project by sending an email to docs@gnome.org. You can also add your comments online by using the GNOME Documentation Status Table.

## License

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.

A copy of the GNU General Public License is included as an appendix to the GNOME Users Guide. You may also obtain a copy of the GNU General Public License from the Free Software Foundation by visiting their Web site or by writing to

        Free Software Foundation, Inc.
        59 Temple Place - Suite 330
        Boston, MA 02111-1307
        USA