Each number counts bombs in its eight neighboring squares. Mark forced bombs, open every square around a satisfied number, recognize common edge patterns, and slow down rather than losing a 30-token clear.
Board rules
Fredsweeper uses an 8×10 board. Left-click a square to reveal it. Right-click a square to flag a suspected bomb. You win after revealing every safe square; clicking a bomb loses the attempt.
Every revealed number describes the bomb count in the eight surrounding positions.
The two deductions you use constantly
Forced bomb: if a number still needs one bomb and only one adjacent covered square remains, that square is a bomb. Flag it.
Forced safe square: if a number already touches the required number of flagged bombs, every other covered neighbor is safe. Open those squares. Each safe reveal creates new information, producing a chain across the board.
Do not analyze one number in isolation. When a 2 touches three unknown squares, a neighboring 1 may identify which of those squares cannot contain the second bomb.
Patterns worth memorizing
1–2 edge
Along a straight covered edge, a 1 followed by a 2 can force the next outside square to be a bomb when the shared square satisfies the 1.
Use the overlap between adjacent numbers instead of guessing each covered tile.
1–2–1
For a clean 1–2–1 against a covered row, the bombs sit on the two outer diagonals of the 2; the square directly across from the 2 is safe. Opening that center square often reveals a large area.
In a valid 1–2–1 edge pattern, mark the outside positions and open the center.
1–2–2–1
The 1–2–2–1 pattern reverses the placement: the two squares directly across from the 2s are bombs, while the outside squares are safe.
Apparent 50/50 positions
Leave an ambiguous cluster until last. The remaining-safe-tile counter can prove how many bombs are inside it. Test each candidate against every bordering number; if only one placement satisfies all numbers, the position was not truly random. Some boards still produce a genuine guess. Make it quickly and restart if it fails rather than burning the whole night on an unsolvable state.
Farming routine
A reliable 10-second clear is better than a reckless failed attempt. One clear gives 30 tokens, which can buy both Golden Cupcakes or leave only five tokens to reach a Distortion Clock. Pause the minigame with Space when an office threat needs attention.
Air Adventure is the other starting minigame. Click to move Balloon Boy through cloud gaps; each gap gives one score and one token, with token value doubling every ten points. It is slower and easier to fail, so Fredsweeper remains the main farm once you understand the board.
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