Microsoft's frustratingly slow Windows 11 setup process now includes a fun distraction: the "Let's Surf" game. Modeled after 1991's "SkiFree," "Let's Surf" is a fast-paced obstacle avoidance game where you navigate an endless course and endure attacks from a kraken. Windows 11 will ask if you want to play "Let's Surf" while setting up a new PC, though you can play it at any time by entering edge://surf in the Microsoft Edge address bar.
This "Easter Egg" was discovered by The Verge during a Surface Laptop Studio 2 review. Presumably, it will appear on the Windows 11 setup screen for all new Surface PCs. Some customers say that they've encountered "Let's Surf" while setting up other brands of PC, so this feature isn't limited to Surface hardware. (That said, we still don't know if all Windows 11 users will run into "Let's Surf" during setup.)
The "Let's Surf" game originally launched in the May 2020 Microsoft Edge 83 update. Upon opening the game, you'll be asked to select a surfer. Then, you're launched through a downward course where you must use the left and right arrow keys to avoid obstacles. Pressing the "f" key gives you a boost, though this should only be used to avoid the kracken, as the game is already fast enough on its own! "Let's Surf" also supports mouse controls and is compatible with Xbox controllers, though we haven't tested Xbox controller functionality during Windows 11 setup.
Longtime PC users who remember 1991's "FreeSki" will enjoy "Let's Surf." The games are basically identical, although "Let's Surf" is obviously a bit more modern and takes place in a different setting. "FreeSki" was originally included in Microsoft Entertainment Pack 3 alongside "TriPeaks," "WordZap," and other semi-classic titles. In case you're wondering, you could also use the "f" key to get away from the yeti in "FreeSki." Nobody told me this when I played it back in the day.
The Windows 11 setup process still kinda sucks, but "Let's Surf" should make it a bit more tolerable. Again, if you want to play "Let's Surf" without formatting your PC and starting from scratch, just enter edge://surf in the Microsoft Edge address bar. The game works on both Windows and macOS.
Source: The Verge