A screensaver.
With a plot.
This isn’t a looping video. Ships hunt, power up, become veterans, and push their luck in a simulation that keeps unfolding.
↗
A PROGRESSIVE POWER UP SCREENSAVER
A SCREENSAVER.
YOU CAN PLAY.
Your idle screen becomes a living space battle.
Watch the free screensaver evolve while you’re away.
Want in? Take the Helm adds Space-to-play.
PURE BLACK · MOVING WIREFRAMES · SUPERWIDE READY
One independent developer · AI-assisted · About & software details ↗
WINDOWS + LINUX WATCH FREE. PLAY FOR $4.99 ONCE.
8 seconds: watch → take control.
Real simulation · scripted capture controls · sound on play
01 / THE SCREENSAVER IDLE TIME. UPGRADED.
Step away.
The fleet clocks in.
Enable automatic activation, pick your idle delay, and let AFK Wars turn your display into an evolving wireframe battlefield. Rival ships collect upgrades, dodge asteroids, and unite against enormous motherships.
Come back, move your mouse, and the screensaver gets out of your way. Or, with Take the Helm, press Space and make yourself part of the problem.
A screensaver.
Quiet while
you’re away.
Silent watching. Clean wireframes on deep black. Hints drift, pause controls fade, and your normal display sleep settings stay in charge.
◇
Your screen.
Your kind of space.
From portrait to 21:9 ultrawide and 32:9 superwide. The battlefield adapts to your display while ships keep their proportions. Choose your displays, intensity, frame-rate cap, and exit controls.
⊹
BLACK SPACE. ON PURPOSE.OLED-MINDED. SUPERWIDE READY.
Pure black.
Wireframes in motion.
The screensaver uses a pure-black background and sparse, moving wireframes. Ships roam, hints drift, and pause controls fade—designed to avoid leaving bright, fixed graphics parked on your display.
Built with OLED displays in mind, with layouts for standard screens, portrait displays, ultrawide and 32:9 superwide. Adjustable intensity lets you dial the glow to suit your screen.
No screensaver guarantees prevention of burn-in or image retention on OLED or other displays. Keep your manufacturer’s panel-care features and normal screen-sleep settings enabled. AFK Wars does not keep your display awake.
02 / FIELD TRANSMISSIONS STRAIGHT FROM THE SIMULATION.
No concept art.
Just a very busy universe.
Real frames from AFK Wars.
Select a capture to get closer.
THE OPTIONAL PLAYABLE UPGRADE
That ship could
use a pilot.
It got you.
Take the Helm turns the screensaver into a battle you can play. Press Space to pilot a ship in the simulation already unfolding. Steer with your mouse. Hit the boost. Weapons fire automatically.
Surviving is your job.
SPACE TAKE CONTROL↖ MOUSE TO STEERSHIFT BOOST
Original chip-synth music and combat effects kick in when you do. Hand control back to silent autopilot whenever you like.
03 / WATCH OR PLAY SCREENSAVER FIRST. PILOT OPTIONAL.
Free to watch.
Upgrade to jump in.
01 / THE SCREENSAVERFREE SCREENSAVER
Watch.
The complete animated screensaver.
No piloting required.
- The complete autonomous space-battle screensaver
- Progressive ship upgrades and rival fleets
- Optional automatic activation with your idle delay
- Silent watching, display settings, and configurable exit controls
Press spacebar or esc to pause
DOWNLOAD WATCH FREE · WINDOWS ↓DOWNLOAD WATCH FREE · LINUX ↓Free standalone download · Early release 0.9.302 / THE PILOTPLAYABLE UPGRADE
Take the helm.
The same screensaver. Now you’re the pilot.
One optional paid upgrade.
- Everything in the free Watch edition
- Instant Space-to-pilot takeover
- Mouse steering and rechargeable boost
- Original music and punchy combat effects
Press spacebar to play!
TAKE THE HELM · $4.99 ONE TIME ↗$4.99 USD once · Secure Stripe CheckoutStandalone Windows + Linux · No subscription04 / BEFORE YOU CLOCK OUT
A few things
from mission control.
Is AFK Wars a screensaver or a game?+
A screensaver first—and one you can play with the optional Take the Helm upgrade. Free Watch includes the complete autonomous battle. You don’t need to control a ship or buy the upgrade to enjoy it as a screensaver.
Does it start when I’m away and stop when I return?+
AFK Wars is a standalone background app with its own idle detection, not a Windows .scr screensaver or lock screen. Enable automatic activation, choose an idle delay, and leave it running in the background. Mouse movement dismisses the fullscreen screensaver by default; exit controls are configurable. Space and Esc are reserved for play or pause. Your existing screen-sleep and lock settings stay in charge.
What can I run it on?+
Early-release downloads are available for Windows x64 and Linux x86-64. The Linux preview has been tested on Ubuntu 24.04 with GNOME/X11. See the download page for installation details and current compatibility notes.
Will it fit my superwide monitor?+
Yes. AFK Wars adapts to 32:9 superwide, 21:9 ultrawide, standard landscape, and portrait layouts without stretching ship shapes. Monitor selection and all-monitor mode are supported. Performance depends on your hardware and resolution; the frame-rate setting is a cap, not a guarantee.
What about OLED displays?+
The screensaver’s pure-black background, moving wireframes, adjustable intensity, and drifting/fading controls are designed with OLED displays in mind. They avoid a fixed bright interface, but do not guarantee prevention of burn-in or image retention on any display. Keep your manufacturer’s care features and normal sleep settings enabled.
Will it make noise while I’m away?+
Watch mode is silent. In Take the Helm, music and effects start when you take control. Return to autopilot or pause to silence the battle; a mute control is also available.
How do updates work?+
Version 0.9.3 and later include a signed updater in settings. If you have version 0.9.2, download the current ZIP once to get the updater. Take the Helm owners return to their private purchase page for future downloads and the Copy update code button, without buying again. Paste that code into the app for paid updates. Keep the link and code private. Offline play does not require it, and there is no subscription.
When can I download it?+
The free Watch screensaver is available here for Windows and Linux. Take the Helm is available as a one-time $4.99 USD website purchase. Steam links will be added when its listings are ready. Website purchases are standalone downloads and do not include a Steam key.