If your internet drops and you are staring at a dead connection, Microsoft Edge has a far better answer than a blank error page: a built-in offline surfing game that, according to How-To Geek, beats Chrome’s famous dinosaur game on variety alone.
Microsoft Edge Surf game (Credits: How-To Geek)
The game is called Surf, and it is built directly into Edge, which means there is nothing to install and no connection needed to play it. It even shows up during the Windows 11 out-of-box setup experience, giving you something to do while the system finishes its work.
The idea is simple. You steer a surfer across the water, dodging islands, other surfers and anything else in your path. You start with three lives, shown as hearts, and a giant kraken is constantly chasing you from behind. Make a mistake, and those tentacles catch up fast.
How to Play Microsoft Edge Surf Game: 4 Modes Explained
What sets Surf apart from Chrome’s dinosaur runner is that it offers four different ways to play, each with its own challenge. Endless mode is the best place to start: travel as far as you can, dodge obstacles and stay ahead of the kraken, using speed boosts wisely when trouble closes in.
Time Trial mode is about precision. You race through a fixed course, collecting coins to shave time off your run, and you can experiment with different routes to find the fastest line through. Zigzag mode tests concentration in a different way: pass through gate after gate without missing one, because a single slip resets your streak.
Collector mode, meanwhile, is all about gathering coins for the best score you can manage. Across all modes, green lightning bolts let you store up to three speed boosts, which you can activate with the F key when the kraken gets too close, and boost ramps offer another way out of a tight spot.
Microsoft Edge Surf Tips: Customisation and Accessibility Options
Outside the main modes, there is plenty to customise. You can change your surfer, switch between the Let’s Surf and Surf Classic themes, and check your best score for each mode. If you would rather slow things down, reduced-speed and reduced-motion modes are available, along with a high-visibility mode that makes obstacles’ hitboxes easier to see.
The controls are easy to pick up, but staying alive long enough to beat your previous score takes real skill, which is exactly why it is so easy to lose track of time. Open it for a quick five-minute break, How-To Geek warns, and you may still be playing long after you meant to get back to work.
That is also the honest trade-off. Surf is not a reason to keep Edge installed on its own, but if you already use Microsoft’s browser, it turns a dead connection or a long Windows setup into a genuinely fun distraction, and one with far more depth than the average browser Easter egg.
Also Read: Stop Doing Windows Chores Manually: 3 Free PowerToys Tools That Do Them for You
Source: How-To Geek — read the full story there.