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Minesweeper can be played in two ways: as a logic game or as a probability game.
Technically, probability implies logic. If you can logically prove that a mine must be in a certain place, then the probability is 100%. If you can prove that it is not in this place, then the probability is 0%. That is, in a sense, only probabilities are important to us. However, the player uses logical deduction to recognize such 100% situations. Sometimes, especially at low difficulty levels, it is enough to complete the level; no calculation of probabilities is required.
But there are situations when all the logic in the world cannot save you. A simple example is the "T" situation seen in the bottom center. It is slightly complicated by additional nearby mines. (In the simplest case, "2" is replaced by "1" and "5" by "3" to make the situation symmetrical.)
There is no way to get more information about the likely position of a single mine remaining in one of these squares. The chances are fifty-fifty - you can toss a coin. When you get something like this, it’s better to make a choice right away and not put it off until later. If the guess is wrong, then at least you will save time solving the rest of the field. (But personally, I strive for completeness, so I leave such cases for later. And don’t blame yourself for not guessing right. When winning or losing depends on a coin toss, that’s bad game design.)
Technically, probability implies logic. If you can logically prove that a mine must be in a certain place, then the probability is 100%. If you can prove that it is not in this place, then the probability is 0%. That is, in a sense, only probabilities are important to us. However, the player uses logical deduction to recognize such 100% situations. Sometimes, especially at low difficulty levels, it is enough to complete the level; no calculation of probabilities is required.
But there are situations when all the logic in the world cannot save you. A simple example is the "T" situation seen in the bottom center. It is slightly complicated by additional nearby mines. (In the simplest case, "2" is replaced by "1" and "5" by "3" to make the situation symmetrical.)
There is no way to get more information about the likely position of a single mine remaining in one of these squares. The chances are fifty-fifty - you can toss a coin. When you get something like this, it’s better to make a choice right away and not put it off until later. If the guess is wrong, then at least you will save time solving the rest of the field. (But personally, I strive for completeness, so I leave such cases for later. And don’t blame yourself for not guessing right. When winning or losing depends on a coin toss, that’s bad game design.)
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