Bored with Minesweeper? Try Zensweeper

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Famine

Famine

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Rule 12
GTP_Famine
Okay... :D

I was playing around with Minesweeper (see the thread below this one currently) and a thought occurred. What are the chances of randomly right-clicking the ascribed number of mines and getting them right?

And so the game of Zensweeper was born.

Rules:
1. Open a game of Minesweeper. Any level.
2. Right click on any squares you see fit, until you've reached the correct number of mines for the level (10 for Beginner, 40 for Intermediate, 99 for Expert).
3. Left click some unoccupied squares, until the game ends.
4. Count the number of flags remaining on the screen.

In theory, you should be able to average 1 on beginner, 6-7 on Intermediate and 20-21 on Expert. Statistically:

Beginner:
Mines - 10
Squares - 100
Average - 10% (1 mine)
Statistically significant Zen - 15% (2 mines)
Statistically significant lack-of-Zen - 5% (err... technically 1 mine. No mines. A fish)

Intermediate:
Mines - 40
Squares - 256
Average - 15.6% (6-7 mines)
Statistically significant Zen - 21.6% (8-9 mines)
Statistically significant lack-of-Zen - 10.6% (4-5 mines)

Expert:
Mines - 99
Squares - 480
Average - 20.6% (20-21 mines)
Statistically significant Zen - 25.6% (25-26 mines)
Statistically significant lack-of-Zen - 15.6% (15-16 mines)

However, it turns out it's markedly easier to beat the odds on the lower levels.

Go Zen - and post your scores here!
 
My zen is significantly bad. I can't get any mines. But that's just because I had to download the minesweeper from the internet. Damned Win 98 second edition didn't have it installed! The game is called 'crazy minesweeper' and it's disturbing my inner balance. Damn you, Crazy Minesweeper. You defiled my Zen.
 
Dude, that's about the dumbest thing I've ever seen. What's the point? All you're doing is statistical analysis. There's no game or play involved. You're just clicking buttons and watching numbers appear on your screen.
 
LoudMusic
Dude, that's about the dumbest thing I've ever seen. What's the point? All you're doing is statistical analysis. There's no game or play involved. You're just clicking buttons and watching numbers appear on your screen.
Click to expand...

It's called a game of luck. You know, like Poker?
 
But in poker you get to pick which cards to keep, and which to fold. And there's a reward afterward.

This is more like Keno ... which is horribly dumb.
 
LoudMusic
Dude, that's about the dumbest thing I've ever seen. What's the point? All you're doing is statistical analysis. There's no game or play involved. You're just clicking buttons and watching numbers appear on your screen.
Click to expand...

Hence the "Zen" portion of it all.

You have much to learn, young Padawan... :D
 
At what level is the zen significant?, 90/95% (1/2tailed?) How many samples is required for the significance you claim at 15% correct mines?

[edit] of course it's 2tailed, didn't see that.. :)

[edit2] gave the zensweeper a few tries and came up with this: :eek: What is the chance for getting 9/10 right???
 

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cardude2004
How can you ever figure out how to avoid the mines. Within' three clicks I am usually clicking on a mine and loosing.
Click to expand...

Do you mean the "original Minesweeper™" or the "Zen Minesweeper™"? If you mean the original, read the instructions. If you mean the Zen, read the instructions. :dopey:
 
GTJugend
[edit2] gave the zensweeper a few tries and came up with this: :eek: What is the chance for getting 9/10 right???
Click to expand...

Approximately 1 in 690,281,878,632,192,000.

LoudMusic - You want reward? In the US there is a prize of $1 million available to anyone who can, in controlled circumstances, demonstrate psychic ability, such as ESP. The usual method is with those wonderful symbol cards, but I reckon if you can consistently get better than chance by the magic 5% mark on Zensweeper you could have a crack at the prize.

Of course it's never been claimed.
 
Famine
Approximately 1 in 690,281,878,632,192,000.
Click to expand...

With odds like that, I think GTJugend should go by 1 of every lottery game in town.
 
Actually, I got it wrong. I was going to correct it, but just couldn't be arsed.

It's really 1 in 190,223,180,840.
 
Famine
Actually, I got it wrong. I was going to correct it, but just couldn't be arsed.

It's really 1 in 190,223,180,840.
Click to expand...

In that case.... :)
 

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