Trench Run Screensaver
Trench Run is a free, in-browser screensaver of an X-wing screaming down a Death Star-style trench toward the exhaust port, with lasers flying and walls blurring past. It renders in real time with no download or install. Press ESC at any time to exit.
How the Trench Run screensaver works
The trench is drawn in one-point perspective: the two walls and floor are filled triangles that all converge on a single vanishing point set at 40% of the screen height, where a soft blue glow marks the exhaust port you are racing toward.
A set of 16 ribs scrolls toward you to create the sense of speed. Each rib's position is squared before placement, so they bunch up near the vanishing point and spread out as they rush past — the natural look of perspective. Your Speed setting controls how fast they scroll, and faint greeble blocks are stamped on alternating ribs for surface detail.
The X-wing is drawn in the foreground from simple shapes: four glowing engine dots, four swept S-foils that flex with a sine wave, red cannon tips, and an elliptical fuselage. It bobs gently left-right and up-down on layered sine waves so it never sits perfectly still.
When Laser fire is on, red and green bolts spawn at random from the lower corners and streak toward the vanishing point as short bright segments, fading out as they reach the distance.
A worked example
With the defaults — speed 5, wall #4a4f59, lasers on, space #02030a — an X-wing weaves down a gray trench under a strip of stars, ribs rushing past toward a glowing exhaust port while red and green bolts streak ahead. Push Speed to 10 for a white-knuckle run, or turn Laser fire off for a quieter approach.
Settings & tips
- Raise Speed toward 10 to make the ribs blur past for a high-velocity attack run, or lower it for a calmer glide.
- Toggle Laser fire off if you prefer the trench without the red and green bolts streaking ahead.
- Recolor the trench with the Wall color picker and set the Space color for the strip of sky above the trench.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the Trench Run screensaver free?
- Yes. Trench Run runs free in your browser with no download, install, or account. It starts the moment the page loads.
- How do I exit the Trench Run screensaver?
- Press the ESC key to exit at any time and return to the page.
- Can I turn the lasers off?
- Yes. The Laser fire toggle removes the red and green bolts so you get a clean flight down the trench.
- Is this an actual Star Wars game?
- No. It is an original animated tribute to the Death Star trench-run scene and is not a playable game or an official Star Wars product.
- Does Trench Run work on mobile and Mac?
- Yes. It runs on an HTML canvas in any modern browser, so it works on Windows, macOS, Linux, and phones with no plugin.