Minesweeper (Qt GUI Project)

Overview

This project is a graphical implementation of the classic Minesweeper game using the Qt framework in C++. It demonstrates object-oriented design principles such as modularity, encapsulation, and GUI-driven event handling.

Features

• Graphical Minesweeper grid with configurable board and mine count
• Left-click to reveal cells, right-click to flag
• Automatic win/loss detection
• Game reset via menu
• Visual indicators for adjacent mines
• Custom icons for flags and mines

Project Structure

File	Purpose
main.cpp	Application entry point
mainwindow.cpp/h	Handles the main window UI and menu actions
gameboard.cpp/h	Manages game grid, mine placement, logic, and gameplay flow
minecell.cpp/h	Represents a single cell in the Minesweeper grid
resources.qrc	Qt resource file containing icons (e.g., flags, mines)
Minesweeper.pro	Qt project file for compilation and build setup

How to Build

Requirements

• Qt 5 or 6 (tested with Qt 5.x)
• Qt Creator or command-line qmake and make

Steps

qmake Minesweeper.pro
make
./Minesweeper

Alternatively, open Minesweeper.pro in Qt Creator and click Build & Run.

Gameplay

• A 30x16 grid with 99 hidden mines is generated at game start
• Clicking a cell reveals its content:
  • A number: shows count of adjacent mines
  • Blank: recursively reveals empty neighbors
  • Mine: ends the game
• Right-click toggles flag, question mark, or clears the cell
• Winning or losing triggers a dialog prompt with reset option

UI Elements

• Menu Bar: Contains options to start a new game or exit
• Game Grid: Interactive cells respond to left/right clicks
• Icons: Used for mines and flags

Object-Oriented Design

• Encapsulation: Classes like MineCell and GameBoard manage internal state
• Modularity: Separated UI (MainWindow) from logic (GameBoard, MineCell)
• Signal-Slot Mechanism: Used to communicate cell clicks and game state changes

License

This project is part of CS 3307B – Object-Oriented Design and Analysis at Western University. For academic use only.