Minesweeper Reloaded Torus

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.Minesweeper Reloaded Torus - with excellent, native OpenGL 2D/3D graphics - 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- first-level logic hints (to learn, and/or to avoid random mistakes - as required)- first-level logic robot (to help concentrate on more complex constellations)Torus/cylinder topologyTorus ("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). BlocksHowever, 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.ShieldsThere 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 recoverRemember: 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.First-level logic hints and robotTwo simplest facts of gameflow, that altogether I call first-level logic:1. If a numbered cell has a corresponding number of covered neighbours, all of them are mines - they need to be flagged.2. If a numbered cell has a corresponding number of flagged neighbours, other (unflagged) ones are safe: they can be recovered.You can enable/disable hints during game showing these moves, or even start a robot taking these steps until it works.Note that hints reveal facts only you could determine by yourself, and first-level logic is not enough to solve harder boards - the most interesting part of logic is beyond that. So use hints and robot as required.Alternative neighbour conditionsYou 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!