SkiFree

SkiFree
Icon
Developer(s)Chris Pirih
Publisher(s)Microsoft
GearSprout (iOS)
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, Game Boy Color, Macintosh, iOS
Release1991 (Windows)
2000 (GBC)
2013 (iOS)[a]
Genre(s)Sports, casual
Mode(s)Single-player

SkiFree is a single-player skiing computer game created by Chris Pirih and released with Microsoft Entertainment Pack 3 for Windows 3.0 in October 1991. The player controls a skier on a mountain slope, avoiding obstacles while racing against time or performing stunts for points, depending on the game mode.

SkiFree was well-received upon release, with critics focusing on its simplicity and graphics. The game was ported to Macintosh and, years later, to Game Boy Color and iOS. Pirih also released a free, updated 32-bit Windows version after rediscovering his original source code. SkiFree remains popular among the gaming community and is often remembered for its Abominable Snowman, which pursues the player after they finish a full run.

In 2020, Microsoft released Surf, a game included with Microsoft Edge heavily inspired by SkiFree. A winter skin where the player skis instead of surfs and must run from the SkiFree Abominable Snowman was added to the game in 2021.

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