Microsoft Minesweeper may have been an extremely basic game, but it was also easy to play, and a fun way to pass a few minutes, which is probably why it came bundled with Windows for around 20 years.
The game was finally dropped in Windows 8, but you can get it back with the free Logyx Pack, along with 107 others: Tetris, Battleships, Reversi, Checkers, Simon Says, and many more (see below for the full list).
The program’s sub-1MB download was a surprise, and unzipping it revealed a single portable executable, and nothing else at all.
Unsurprisingly, the interface is basic. By default the games are organized alphabetically across text menus, with very short descriptions, and you just select whatever you’d like to play.
The individual games are also extremely limited. Some are customizable -- Minesweeper offers 13 board sizes -- but elsewhere there’s minimal help, no choice of difficulty, limited sound, and no high score table.
Despite that, the core game engines seemed better than we were expecting. The Reversi computer opponent delivered some challenging games, for instance. If you love a particular game then you’ll certainly want more, but if you’re just looking for a fun way to spend a few minutes then Logyx Pack really delivers.
The full game list is Puzz, Lineo, PipeDrop, Harpy, Zookey, Bapp, Foldex, Hopper, Zoodoku, Yomboku, Mem Pro, Memory, Spiny Goo, Mips, Moc, Inrot, Zyx, Qwez, Zbam, Thux, Rotiz, Woosho, Newpy, Cossai, Crunch, Sanno, Yam Yam, Chakz, Chealla, Chagwa, Choy, N-Queens, N-Rooks, FourMax, PipeSpin, Tac 3D, Symh, Pymh, Minesweeper, Battleships, Dominow, Geex, Micro Mastermind, Micro Yomb, Baca, Tetris, Hextris, Tetrapod, Tangram, Infe, Nam Chess, Checkers, King’s Board, Quirkat, Chicoy, Foado, Tibu, Heho, Three Men’s Morris, Tackle, Kono, PushNPull Sokoban, Magnetron, Atomic, ArrowPath, CarPath, HexaPath, SquarePath, JumpPath, Connect Four, GoMoku, Ha, Icky, Reversi, Shaga, Jumper, Pegs, RotSix, BallRings, Billiard Balls, Four Circles, Hanoi, Nim, Chomp, SideSwap, SwapJump 1D, Threener, GrowaHex, GrowaSquare, ColorPos, Maze, Wompo, Womto, Inertia, Light Up, Shapo, SlideAll, Klotski, Blobski, Sudoku, Kakuro, DigiShift, Byss 2048, Senet, TogLine, PlusMinus, Varikon and Simon Says.