Sinkhole Sweep
Sinkhole Sweep is a logic puzzle. Ten sinkholes hide under a 9 by 9 meadow. Each patch you survey shows how many sinkholes touch it, and you use those numbers to work out where it is safe to step next.
How do you play Sinkhole Sweep?
- Press Play, then tap any patch to start. The first tap is always safe and usually opens an area.
- Each number tells you how many of the 8 surrounding patches hold a sinkhole.
- Mark a patch you know is a sinkhole with a flag: long-press it, right-click it, or turn on Flag mode.
- Survey every safe patch to win. A fast finish adds a time bonus.
- Survey a sinkhole and the round ends.
What are the controls?
| Input | Action |
|---|---|
| Tap or click | Survey a patch |
| Long-press or right-click | Place or remove a flag |
| Flag mode button | Makes taps place flags |
| Arrow keys | Move the cursor |
| Space or Enter | Survey |
| F | Flag |
Tips for a higher score
- A 1 touching only one hidden patch means that patch is a sinkhole. Flag it.
- If a number already has that many flags around it, every other hidden neighbour is safe.
- Look for the 1-2-1 pattern along an edge: the patches next to the 1s are sinkholes, the one next to the 2 is safe.
- Corners give the least information. Work from the open areas outward.
Sinkhole Sweep FAQ
How is Sinkhole Sweep scored?
Each safe patch you survey is worth 10 points. Clearing the whole meadow adds a time bonus of up to 500 points.
Is the first move always safe?
Yes. Sinkholes are placed after your first tap, never on or next to that patch.
How do I flag on a phone?
Long-press a patch, or tap the Flag mode button below the game so taps place flags.
Is every board solvable without guessing?
Most are, but like other games in this family some boards need a guess near the end.
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More from Sam
Larger games Sam Barth is making on his own:
- Lantern Survivors: an action game about holding back the dark with a lantern (link coming soon)
- Dead Acre: a wave-survival first-person shooter (link coming soon)
- Starforge: a sci-fi looter-shooter (link coming soon)