Image Credits: Howtogeek
Did you remember SkiFree? Microsoft is one-upping the hidden dinosaur game that is found in Google Chrome. The latest version of Microsoft Edge has a secret surfing game that lets you play it offline. It is a version of SkiFree that comes with a fresh new coat of paint, swapping out yetis for the Kraken.
This new feature is a part of Microsoft Edge 82. As of Feb. 28, 2020, it is just available as an unstable Canary builds of Microsoft Edge. However, it would soon come to the stable version of Microsoft Edge by the end of April 2020.
How to Access the Surfing Game
To access the game, simply type edge://surf into the Microsoft Edge’s address bar and hit Enter. If you’re using a version of Edge that has the game, it will load immediately. The “edge://” part of the address tells us that this is an internal page which is built into the Microsoft Edge application itself.
You will see the character select screen. Make use of the left and right arrow keys and the space bar to select a character and start playing.
Image Credits: Howtogeek
How to Play Edge’s Secret Surfing Game
Use the arrow keys to move and control your character and the space bar to play and pause the game. The arrow keys for left and right keys move your surfer left and right, the up arrow key stops your surfer, and use the down key to resumes surfing. Use the “f” key if you want to use a speed boost power-up, you can get one near the start of the game. They resemble green lightning bolts.
As seen in the classic SkiFree game, your aim should be to make it as far as you can. You will start with three hearts. With every crash, you'll lose a heart. After you lose all your hearts, it ends and shows you your scores.
image Credits: Howtogeek
You can also control the game with a mouse or a touchpad. Move the cursor on your mouse to control your character and double-click to activate the speed boost.
The game even has support for Xbox controllers. Plug in an Xbox 360 controller or wirelessly pair an Xbox One controller and you can control the game with the d-pad or joysticks, using the A button to pause and the right trigger to activate your speed boost.
Image Credit: Howtogeek
You can select other modes by clicking the menu button at the top-right corner of the game. The game also comes with other helpful accessibility features. There’s a “High visibility mode” toggle that makes the obstacles easier to see and a “Reduced speed mode” that slows down the surfing speed.
All the game’s controls are described and explained on the menu, too. Click on the menu button and choose “How to play” to see the control systems for keyboard, mouse, touchpad, and game controller.
Image Credits: Howtogeek
It’s 2020 and SkiFree Is Back
This game is distinct from SkiFree, of course. you’re surfing instead of skiing. But the gameplay appears pretty familiar, and anyone who remembers playing Microsoft SkiFree in the late 90s should have a dose of nostalgia from it.
This game may look a little silly, but it’s much more fully-featured than Google Chrome’s dinosaur game. Like the Google Chrome’s famous dinosaur game, it entirely works offline. If your internet connection goes down and you want to kill a few minutes, you can always load the surfing game and play it entirely offline.
