How do you play Minesweeper?

Personally, I just click boxes to make a smiley face.

just like lapin said, process of elimination and logic are a big part of it. Sometimes, you are just stuck and have to guess, but in most cases logic and elimination work. take a 1 2 2 1 for example, if there is a mine above the left most 1, then the there cannot be a mine above the left 2. in order to make that left 2 be next to two mines, you have to put a mine above the right 2. then, the right 1 is connected to one mine, but the right 2 is only connected to one mine.
picture of where we at:
(x = mine)
(o = not mine)
1 2 2 1
x o x

Unfortunately, u cannot put the mine above the left 2 or right 1, since 1 of the 1s would be next to 2 mines. So, our first thing that we did or putting a mine above the left 1 is wrong, and u realize that the same would happen over the right 1. so by logic and elimination you get the two mines are above the two 2s (which is true). so u would fill it in like this:
1 2 2 1
o x x o
then click the 1s on the sides. Hope this helps and sorry for making u read thru a long paragraph.