Summary
When it comes to surfing the web, Microsoft Edge is a reasonable browser. But I prefer using it to surf the waves, thanks to its secret game that you can play without an internet connection.
What Is Edge’s Secret Game?
You may be familiar withGoogle Chrome’s dinosaur game, which is a simple endless runner designed to keep you entertained when you’re offline. What you might not know is that Microsoft Edge also has an offline game and, controversial as it might be to say, it’s better than Chrome’s.
IntroducingEdge Surf. It’s an endless runner like Google’s, though a vertical one rather than horizontal. In it, you move a surfer through the water as you dodge obstacles like whirlpools and buoys.
The further you get, the higher your score, which makes it the perfect game to dip back into during downtime to see if you can best your record.
Edge Surfis inspired by the 1991 gameSkiFree, which came as part of Microsoft Entertainment Pack 3 for Windows 3.0. In that game, you maneuver a skier down a mountain slope; at a certain point, you’re chased by an angry Abominable Snowman.
In November 2021,Edge Surfpaid homage toSkiFreewith a winter theme, complete with the nightmarish yeti. Unfortunately this is no longer available, though I live in hope it will return one day!
How to Access Edge Surf
The quickest way to accessEdge Surfis to open the Edge browser, typeedge://surf/in the address bar and press Enter. This works on desktop, along with Android and iOS.
If you’re using Edge and aren’t connected to the internet, you’ll see an error page from which you’re able to select “Launch Game” to loadEdge Surf.
If you don’t have the Edge browser installed, you can play a “lite edition” online at theMicrosoftEdge Surfwebsite. This is missing features of the full version, like different modes and high score tracking.
Edge Surfis also playable during the Windows 11 setup, though I don’t recommend that youclean install Windowsjust to play it!
How to Play Edge Surf
Edge Surfhas a handful of modes, but the default is Endless. The aim here is to travel as far as you can and avoid obstacles. Some obstacles will only slow you down, while others will damage you and cause you to lose one of your three lives. The lightning bolt power-ups give you a speed boost when activated, so collect all you see. Lose all your lives and it’s game over.
Watch out for the vicious kraken that chases you. It’s too fast to simply surf away from it, so you need to cause it to crash into something. If it catches you, it’s instant failure.
The other modes are:
you may playEdge Surfwith different input devices, like your mouse, keyboard, touch screen, or controller. Experiment with each and see which you find easiest. I’m a fan of the controller because of the rumble support.
you’re able to also customize your character and the game’s theme, using the buttons in the top-left. The cog in the top-right opens accessibility settings like high visibility and reduced speed.
Should You Use Microsoft Edge?
According toStatcounter, as of January 2025, Microsoft Edge is used by 5.2% of people to browse the web. That may not seem like much, but everything pales in comparison to Google Chrome’s 67.08% share. In fact, Edge outperforms Firefox’s 2.54% and Samsung Internet’s 2.24%.
It’s actually surprising that Edge isn’t more heavily used, considering it’s the default browser of Windows 11 and can’t be removed from the operating system. But it just goes to show the control that Google has over the web.
There are plenty ofreasons why you might want to use Edge, like integration with Microsoft Drop for file sharing and a handy screenshot tool, though whether it’s worth switching from the likes of Chrome or Firefox is debatable. Personally, while I don’t use Edge for daily web browsing, I’m happy to have it installed for the occasional quick game of Edge Surf.
