How to play Minedunit: a beginner's guide to the daily murder mystery
Learn Minedunit in five minutes: how the numbers work, when to OPEN or EXAMINE, what the flashlights do, and how to catch the killer.
Minedunit is a free daily puzzle that mixes a minesweeper board with a murder mystery. Every day there are three new cases (Easy, Medium and Hard), and everyone in the world gets the same three. This guide covers everything you need for your first case.
The case in one sentence
A body has been found, the suspects are standing somewhere on a floor plan, and every covered tile hides either safe floor or a piece of evidence. Uncover the scene without disturbing the evidence, read what the suspects said, and name the killer.
The board and its numbers
The board is a floor plan split into rooms. Most tiles start covered. When you open a tile, it shows a number: how many pieces of evidence are in the 8 tiles around it, diagonals included. A blank tile has no evidence around it, so its neighbours open by themselves.
There are three kinds of evidence: a knife, footprints and blood. The bar above the board counts how many of each you have found and how many are left.
Two tools: OPEN and EXAMINE
Each covered tile is either safe floor or evidence, and you choose the tool before you tap:
- OPEN a tile you are sure is safe floor.
- EXAMINE a tile you are sure holds evidence.
Use the wrong tool and you lose a flashlight. Open a tile that held evidence and you step on it; examine plain floor and you waste the light. You start with three flashlights, and when the last one goes out the killer escapes.
Pins are free. Pin a tile you have a hunch about to remember it: pins never cost a flashlight.
Suspects and their statements
When you open a tile with a suspect on it, you hear their statement, such as "The Tailor was standing next to a footprint." Statements are about the board, so you can check them against what you uncover.
Not everybody tells the truth, and the rule changes with the level:
| Level | Suspects | Board | Who lies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy | 3 | 5×5 to 6×6 | Only the killer |
| Medium | 3 or 4 | 6×6 to 7×7 | Exactly two people: the killer and one innocent person |
| Hard | 4 or 5 | 7×8 to 8×9 | The killer, and up to two others may lie too |
Evidence notes never lie. Only people do.
Making the accusation
When the clues prove who did it, press ACCUSE and pick the killer. You do not need to clear the whole board, and finishing early is rewarded. The game will not let you accuse before the clues prove one suspect, so if your accusation is refused, there is more to find. A wrong accusation ends the case.
Stars, taps and score
A solved case earns stars:
- 1 star for solving it.
- 2 stars if you still have at least two flashlights.
- 3 stars if you kept all three flashlights and finished within the par number of taps plus three.
Every case has a par: the number of taps a careful solver needs. Finishing in exactly par taps earns the Sharp Eye badge.
Daily cases, streaks and the archive
New cases arrive at midnight in your time zone. Solve any one of the day's cases on its own day to keep your streak going. Missed yesterday? The website's archive keeps yesterday's cases, and every earlier case is in the iOS app. Cases played after their day do not count towards your streak.
When you finish, share your result. It shows your taps, time, lights and stars, plus a row of squares for your moves, without giving away where anything was or who did it.
Frequently asked questions
Is Minedunit free?
Yes. The three daily cases on the website are free to play, with no account. The iOS app has more cases, story chapters and challenges.
Do I ever have to guess?
No. Every case can be solved by logic alone. If you feel stuck, there is always a tile that the numbers or the statements settle.
What happens if I use the wrong tool?
You lose one of your three flashlights. Lose all three and the case ends unsolved.
Do hints affect my score?
Hints do not change your stars, but your result shows how many hints you used.
Is it the same puzzle for everyone?
Yes. Everyone gets the same three cases each day, so you can compare results with friends without spoiling anything.