Guess-free Torus Minesweeper

Improved game on new place: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=elli.game.torus.minesweeper3.free

A superclassic game deserves more than weak remakes. Free and ad-free.

If you are tired of uninventive (and often ugly) clones, but want something that consequently extends the original game keeping its essence, this one is for you.

Evidently lets you play the classic game, but also extends it in a very consequent way with a number of significant improvements:

- torus/cylinder topology

- initial recover

- alternative neighbour conditions

- shields for unsolvable situations

- unmoveable blocks to diversify gameplay

- logic hints (to learn, and/or to avoid random mistakes - as required)

- first-level logic robot (to help concentrate on more complex constellations)

- guess-free option: you always get a shield in unsolvable situations, but otherwise never

Torus/cylinder topology

Torus ("rim") is a geometric object, but even more a structure. Imagine taking a rectangle, and join its opponent edge-pairs: first you get a tube (cylinder), and joining the tube's begin and end you get a torus. This topology can be represented also in the plane, repeating the rectangle periodic in x, y, or both directions. This structure influences neighbour relations (so game strategies) in deep, since distant places can get close to each other - difference between center and edge disappears. Both alternative representations are implemented in the application: 3D torus view is a spectacular feature, but in practice 2D periodic view is more comfortable.

Playing on torus - as required - eliminates the frustrating edge-effect of classic game (as less average information near borders forces more random guesses).

Blocks

However, against eliminating edge-effect by torus topology, when you like harder situations, you can even scatter unmoveable blocks on the table ('artificial edge-effect'). These blocks contain neither mines, nor information about neighbours - so diversifying gameplay.

Shields

There is no guarantee - particularly on harder boards - that you can always avoid logically unsolvable constellations. Here can help - a limited number of - shields: you can remove a cover safely and carry on, even if cell contains a mine. Optimally use them is a next level of strategy.

Initial recover

Remember: playing the classic game you always begin with some random recovery, until state seems to be enough for begin serious work. For that time nothing saves you of blowing up (except the first touch - it's a particularly stupid thing). It is more consenquent, when computer recovers a desired amount of cells initially.

Hints and robot

You can get hints for safe conclusions (separated first-level and indirect logic). Note that hints do not tell secrets -just reveal facts only you could determine by yourself

You can even start a robot taking steps concluded from first-level logic.

Guess-free option

Algorithm giving you hints is able to determine if there is any logical solution. Enabling guess-free option you will always get a shield when there is no safe conclusion, but never oterwise - even in hard situations.

Alternative neighbour conditions

You can set, which neighbour cells (of habitual 8) are counted as neigbours. Edge or diagonal neighbours count only, or other ones? You get more, relevantly different game-flows. If you try them, after a few minutes you will be familiar with the new strategies, and I think you will enjoy them!

For example, playing with diagonal neighbours (only) is quite interesting: there are actually two independent games on classic finite table (consider black and white cells of chess-board), but when you play it on a torus, game-flows are different depending on parity (even/odd) of table size dimensions. Try it!