Microsoft improves Easter Egg Surf game in new Microsoft Edge browser

Martin Brinkmann
Feb 27, 2020
Internet, Microsoft Edge
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17

Did you know that Microsoft's new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser has an Easter Egg? If you follow certain instructions to the letter, you will unlock a Surf game that is integrated in the browser.

The game is only available in Development and Canary versions of Microsoft Edge. As is the case for most Easter Eggs, it requires that you perform a number of actions in sequence before it becomes available.

Here is how you enable the Surf game in Microsoft Edge (Chromium):

  1. Open any website in the browser.
  2. Click on the Collections button and select "Start new Collection". Name it Microsoft Edge.
  3. Now add the active site to the Collection. Right-click on it and change the name to S.
  4. Repeat step 3 three times and rename the sites to U, then R, then F to end up with four sites in the collection spelling out SURF.
  5. For the last step, drag the F site and drop it after U so that you get SUFR. Once done, drag back the F to the last position so that SURF is again spelled correctly.
  6. Restart Microsoft Edge.

If you have done that correctly, a new entry should have been added to the Collection. This is the SURF game that you may launch with a click on the item. You may also load edge://surf to start the game right away.

Once you are in, you may use the left and right arrow keys and the Enter-key for selection to pick a surfer. Before you do that, you may want to open the menu of the game as it provides you with options to switch the game mode from the default "let's surf" to time trial or zig zag, and to enable "high visibility mode" and "reduced speed mode".

There is also a handy how to play link and an option to start a new game. You control the surfer with the left and right arrow keys and avoid most of the obstacles the game places randomly on the screen.

The default mode is an endless runner-like game mode in which you try to come as far as possible. You have three hearts and energy to start with; it is game over when your hearts reach zero.

Closing Words

Surf is a rather simplistic game that Microsoft added to its new browser. While you may have a bit of fun playing it, it is similar to other built-in browser games in that it is too simplistic to be entertaining for longer.

Why did Microsoft add the Surf game to Edge? The company does not tell but the most likely explanation is to create buzz.

Now You: What is your take on Easter Eggs in browsers?

Summary
Article Name
Microsoft improves Easter Egg Surf game in new Microsoft Edge browser
Description
Did you know that Microsoft's new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser has an Easter Egg? If you follow certain instructions to the letter, you will unlock a Surf game that is integrated in the browser.
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Ghacks Technology News
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Comments

  1. hiren said on January 6, 2021 at 2:03 pm
    Reply

    how much score do i need to win surf and time trail.

  2. Unknown said on August 31, 2020 at 7:27 pm
    Reply

    HOW DO I GET A NEW COLORED SURF BOARD? MINE IS PLAIN BLUE AN WHITE WHILE I SEE OTHER THAT HAVE A JET

  3. Marc Kuhn said on June 15, 2020 at 4:42 pm
    Reply

    A fascinating game,
    a real competitor to the Chrome Dino game).

    By the way, I found a site with a copy of the game for ANY (not only Edge) browser – https://edgesurf.net/
    it’s also convenient to play on mobile!

  4. Richard said on May 24, 2020 at 8:31 pm
    Reply

    The surf games has likely been added for when your internet drops out or your connection is down so you have something to play. I was asked if i wanted to play a game when my internet went down briefly and this is the game it gave me. It is a similar time waster like the dinosaur jumping game you get in chrome.

  5. David said on April 28, 2020 at 12:06 pm
    Reply

    you can also search edge://surf to access the easter egg, but that makes it less fun

  6. PanamaVet said on February 28, 2020 at 2:33 pm
    Reply

    Being a developer I know why they did it. It is their signature and it brought a smile to my face. What a great idea! I can only imagine what others there may be.

    Side note: Happiness takes effort. You have to work at it. Look for the good things in life.

    1. marx said on March 6, 2020 at 6:35 pm
      Reply

      Look for the good things in life?

      Look for the good things in life, but don’t be blind to lurking threats.

      Also, being that I’m smart, I know you don’t know why those devs put that game in there.

      But if that so-called “signature” puts a delusional smile on your face, so be it.

  7. pHROZEN gHOST said on February 27, 2020 at 5:31 pm
    Reply

    Is this fake news?

    1. wET dUCK said on March 6, 2020 at 6:37 pm
      Reply

      Is that a fake comment?

      1. po said on May 20, 2021 at 6:22 pm
        Reply

        Is that a fake wET gHOST?

  8. chesscanoe said on February 27, 2020 at 4:49 pm
    Reply

    SURF is a great example of misdirected resources by Edge management. There is so much work left to do to improve Edge without frittering away people’s time. I guess somebody has to get Edge user numbers up to meet some useless monthly goal.

    1. trublu said on February 29, 2020 at 7:38 am
      Reply

      Your assumptions are delusional.

      I’m sure this was something one of the devs had sitting around, so they just stuck it in there for fun, or was needed to test some aspect of Edge.

      In the end, Edge was released in time, and it works great!

  9. Nick said on February 27, 2020 at 2:16 pm
    Reply

    A surf game with the style of SkiFree?
    I think the jeti should make a cameo here too!

  10. Meh said on February 27, 2020 at 1:28 pm
    Reply

    They have weird priorities. That’s the sort of thing you mess around with once you’re pretty much done with core functionality which they are not. The likelihood of it creating any buzz at all is very low.

    1. getreal said on February 29, 2020 at 7:44 am
      Reply

      “They have weird priorities”

      We don’t know why they added the Surf game to Edge, so other than speculation, you can’t say anything honest about such priorities.

      They released Edge in time and it works great, so that’s all that matters to me.

  11. Dumbledalf said on February 27, 2020 at 9:31 am
    Reply

    Edge has a better useless game compared to Chrome, it definitely must be a better browser… Look! It’s got colors! And colors make my tummy feel happy. ^-^

  12. Steve said on February 27, 2020 at 7:37 am
    Reply

    >>Why did Microsoft add the Surf game to Edge? The company does not tell
    >> but the most likely explanation is to create buzz.
    Now all the cool kids will want to install Edge to play Surf. Mark my words: end of sarcasm.

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