12 min read

After Dark

Last updated: January 9, 2026

Overview

After Dark represents one of the most iconic screensaver collections in computing history, originally created by Berkeley Systems for Apple Macintosh in 19891 and later ported to Microsoft Windows in 19912. What began as a personal project by engineer Jack Eastman3 evolved into a cultural phenomenon that would spawn merchandise, legal battles, and eventually a collection of desktop games published in 19984. The software package became legendary for its “Flying Toasters” screensaver, which Eastman conceived during a sleep-deprived programming session when his mind “put wings on” a kitchen toaster he was looking at3.

Berkeley Systems maintained a philosophy of remaining “aggressively stupid”3 throughout the development process, prioritizing charm, creativity, non-repetitiveness, and deliberate simplicity over technical complexity3. This approach proved remarkably successful, with the screensavers appearing on “just about every single office computer in existence”5 during their peak popularity. The franchise eventually expanded beyond screensavers into merchandise, legal disputes, and multiple game collections that would continue well into the 2020s across various platforms including modern mobile devices and indie gaming platforms67.

Story Summary

The After Dark universe encompasses multiple distinct narratives depending on the specific iteration. The original Berkeley Systems screensaver collection featured no overarching story, instead presenting whimsical animated scenes like flying toasters and dancing geometric shapes11. However, the 1998 After Dark Games collection incorporated “objects and characters from the screen savers”12 into playable mini-games with their own simple premises.

Later independent interpretations took darker turns. The 2004 J2ME mobile game “After Dark: Under the Moonlight” centered on a haunted Portland mansion where “no one ever came back from that place,” following a boy and girl who must “overcome all evil creations in this mansion to unveil the secret of the past”10. The horror-themed itch.io versions focus on cooperative survival, where players must work together as a father and daughter who “cannot beat the game alone”6 while navigating supernatural threats that require keeping lights on and maintaining vigilance13.

Gameplay

Interface and Controls

The original After Dark functioned as a screensaver system with customizable activation timers and module selection14. Users could configure individual screensavers through a control panel interface, with the software detecting CPU activity to prevent activation during active use11. The system supported both keyboard and mouse input devices15 and featured an “EcoLogic power management for Energy Star monitors” along with a “Randomizer feature to cycle through multiple screensavers”14.

The 1998 After Dark Games collection offered “no complicated set-up” with the promise to “just start playing”16, featuring eleven individual games accessible through a main menu interface. Each game utilized standard mouse and keyboard controls appropriate to its genre, from Pac-Man-style movement in “Mowin’ Maniac”12 to puzzle-solving mechanics in various other titles17. Modern iterations on platforms like itch.io require cooperative play between two players, with distinct character abilities where “father can jump higher, daughter can crouch lower”6.

Structure and Progression

After Dark’s structure varies dramatically across versions. The original screensaver collection operated on a modular system where users could install and customize dozens of individual animated displays1. Berkeley Systems allowed for “development and use of third-party modules, with hundreds created at height of popularity”11, expanding the base package significantly beyond its initial offerings.

The 1998 games collection contained eleven distinct mini-games including “Hula Girl, Fish Shtick, Roof Rats, Solitaire, Roger Dodger, Zapper, Mowin’ Maniac, Bad Dog 911, Toaster Run, Foggy Boxes, and MooShu”18. Players could access any game individually without linear progression requirements19. More recent interpretations incorporate meta-gaming elements where players must “manipulate game files directly to progress through puzzles”20 and experience automatic game restarts as “normal” behavior20.

Puzzles and Mechanics

The original After Dark screensavers featured hidden interactive elements accessible through specific key combinations. Players could press Caps Lock during certain screensavers to unlock “alternate colors and backgrounds” or even play “Rock, Paper, Scissors” against the CPU16. Setting the system date to December 25th while using voyeur wallpaper would make Santa appear16, demonstrating the developers’ attention to seasonal easter eggs.

The games collection emphasized simple mechanics reminiscent of classic arcade titles. “Mowin’ Maniac” was described as nothing more than “a variant [of Pac-Man] with a lawnmower theme”12, while other games were criticized as “blatant rip-off[s] of better-known games”17. Despite this criticism, the “sheer simplicity of these games helped make them as engaging and addictive as the mega-selling 40-hour sagas with souped-up 3-D sound and state-of-the-art computer graphics”1. Modern horror iterations incorporate survival mechanics where players must complete tasks like watering plants and feeding pets while avoiding supernatural threats13.

Reception

Contemporary Reviews

After Dark received mixed critical reception throughout its various incarnations. GameSpot’s Nicole Freeman gave After Dark Games a harsh 5.5/10 score in April 2000, criticizing the collection as containing “games that just don’t bring any life to the desktop puzzle genre” where “each game is either a blatant rip-off of better-known games”17. However, customer reception proved more positive, with Amazon customers rating the collection 4.1/5 stars8 and one long-term user stating they “have had hours and hours of fun with it” over “5 or 6 years”8.

PublicationScoreNotes
GameSpot5.5/10”games that just don’t bring any life to the desktop puzzle genre”17
Amazon Customers4.1/5Based on customer reviews8
GameFAQs UsersGreat (17 ratings)User community assessment21
MobyGames Critics76%Professional critic aggregate18
MyAbandonware Users4.23/5Retro gaming community rating22
RAWG UsersExceptionalMost users rated as “Exceptional”23

Modern Assessment

Contemporary retrospective coverage has been more appreciative of After Dark’s cultural impact. The New York Times’ J.C. Herz praised how the “sheer simplicity of these games helped make them as engaging and addictive as the mega-selling 40-hour sagas”1, while Computer Gaming World noted that “if nothing else, it makes for a good time-killer”1. Modern users on platforms like Reddit express strong nostalgia, with one user successfully running the games on Windows 10 despite compatibility challenges24.

The speedrunning community has embraced After Dark Games, maintaining active leaderboards on speedrun.com with multiple categories and competitive players2526. This ongoing competitive interest demonstrates the enduring appeal of the simple mechanics that critics once dismissed. Independent developers continue creating new interpretations, with itch.io versions receiving ratings of 4.3/5 stars67 and players praising innovative cooperative mechanics despite technical limitations from university project constraints6.

Development

Origins

After Dark originated as an unintended personal project by engineer Jack Eastman, who “actually never intended it to see the light of day”3. The software began as an “assembly language hack of Mac OS in 1986, required patching OS calls for screen saver functionality”11 during Eastman’s PhD thesis work. The iconic Flying Toasters concept emerged during a late-night programming session when Eastman’s “sleep-deprived brain put wings on” a kitchen toaster he was looking at3. This creation process embodied Berkeley Systems’ core philosophy to remain “aggressively stupid”3 while prioritizing “charm; creativity; non-repetitiveness; stupidity”3.

Berkeley Systems founders Joan Blades and Wes Boyd would later gain additional fame by creating MoveOn.org1, demonstrating their continued involvement in projects that captured public attention. The company’s approach to After Dark development utilized “Monte Carlo simulation knowledge for randomization”3 and allowed extensive third-party module creation, resulting in “hundreds of third-party modules” being “created during peak popularity”1. The software’s success led to merchandising opportunities, including t-shirts bearing slogans like “The 51st Flying Toaster Squadron: On a mission to save your screen!”1

Production

The original After Dark was “written in assembly language and C”1 and progressed through multiple major versions from the initial 1989 Macintosh release through After Dark 4.0 in 19961. The development team included designer Patrick Beard alongside Jack Eastman2, with the software expanding from “line-art only modules” in version 1.0 to featuring the breakthrough Flying Toasters in version 2.011. Berkeley Systems was eventually “acquired by Sierra On-Line division of CUC International in 1997”1, though “After Dark was not actually a Sierra game - it was developed and published by Berkeley Systems”11.

The 1998 After Dark Games collection represented a different production approach, transforming screensaver concepts into playable mini-games. This collection incorporated “objects and characters from the screen savers”12 and featured “sharp, clear graphics, and each game has original music”5. Modern independent interpretations have involved university projects with “limited development time”6 and collaborations between artists like npckc and musicians like sdhizumi13, demonstrating how the After Dark concept continues inspiring new creators across different platforms and contexts.

Technical Achievements

After Dark represented significant technical innovation for its era, particularly in screen saver functionality and modular architecture. The software required sophisticated “assembly language hack of Mac OS in 1986” implementation to properly “patch OS calls for screen saver functionality”11 before operating systems natively supported such features. The modular design allowed extensive customization, with the system supporting “development and use of third-party modules, with hundreds created at height of popularity”1 through a standardized .ad module format11.

The software included advanced features like “SystemIQ Activity Monitor for CPU load detection”14 to prevent inappropriate activation during system use, along with “EcoLogic power management for Energy Star monitors”14 for energy efficiency. Technical specifications varied across versions, with After Dark 4.0 supporting “32-bit” architecture while “earlier versions” used “16-bit”27 implementation. Modern compatibility remains challenging, with After Dark 4.0 and “After Dark 10th Anniversary” versions working on “Windows 10” while “After Dark Classic/3.0” remains incompatible with modern systems27. The screensaver files themselves use a clever technical approach where “.scr files are actually .exe files”27, allowing execution while maintaining the screensaver file extension convention.

Legacy

After Dark’s cultural impact extended far beyond its original screensaver functionality, establishing Berkeley Systems as a significant force in desktop computing culture. The Flying Toasters became so iconic that they inspired legal battles, including lawsuits “against Delrina Corporation in 1993” and “by Jefferson Airplane in 1994”1 over design similarities and alleged inspiration from the band’s album artwork. The franchise spawned a television series, with the “Bad Dog screensaver” inspiring “a TV series that aired on Teletoon in 1999”1, demonstrating the characters’ broad entertainment appeal beyond computing.

The technical influence of After Dark proved substantial, with the software appearing on “just about every single office computer in existence”5 during its peak and establishing screensavers as a standard computing expectation. However, the “common nineties computing myth about screensavers preventing screen burn-in was complete nonsense unless monitor manufactured in mid-eighties”22, meaning After Dark’s popularity transcended its stated utility purpose. Modern preservation efforts continue through platforms like myabandonware.com22 and speedrunning communities maintaining active competition2526, while independent developers create new interpretations on itch.io67 and mobile platforms10, ensuring the After Dark concept remains relevant decades after its original creation.

Downloads

Purchase / Digital Stores

  • Available through various e-commerce retailers5
  • GOG.com wishlist page exists but not officially available28

Download / Preservation

References

Footnotes

  1. Wikipedia - After Dark Software - Comprehensive software history and details ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15 ↩16

  2. Encyclopedia.pub - After Dark History - Detailed encyclopedia entry on screensaver software ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  3. Low End Mac - After Dark Story - Creator interview with Jack Eastman ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9

  4. Internet Archive - After Dark Games 1998 - Archived software package with metadata ↩ ↩2

  5. Never Die Media - After Dark Games - E-commerce product listing ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  6. Fazedor de Jogos - After Dark - Developer’s itch.io page with game information ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  7. Luiz Felipe - After Dark - Independent developer’s itch.io page ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  8. Amazon - After Dark Games - Customer reviews and product information, GameSpot review coverage ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  9. Apple Discussions - After Dark Compatibility - Mac Intel compatibility forum discussion ↩

  10. GameFAQs - After Dark Mobile Walkthrough - J2ME mobile game guide ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  11. HandWiki - After Dark Software - Technical wiki documentation ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8

  12. LaunchBox Games DB - After Dark Games - Comprehensive game database entry ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  13. sdhizumi - Pet Shop Soundtrack - Horror game soundtrack ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  14. Sierra Chest - After Dark Classic - Technical documentation ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  15. Macintosh Repository - After Dark Games - Mac software repository with technical specs ↩

  16. GameFAQs - After Dark Games Cheats - Easter eggs and hidden features guide ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  17. GameSpot - After Dark Games Review - Professional review with numerical score ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  18. MobyGames - After Dark Games - Detailed database entry with reviews ↩ ↩2

  19. Old-Games.com - After Dark Games - Retro gaming site with detailed review ↩

  20. Steam Community - Walkthrough Guide - Meta-gaming mechanics guide ↩ ↩2

  21. GameFAQs - After Dark Games Main - Database entry with user ratings ↩

  22. MyAbandonware - After Dark Games - Game page with detailed review ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  23. RAWG - After Dark Games - Game database with user ratings ↩

  24. Reddit - Retro Gaming - Technical compatibility discussion ↩

  25. Speedrun.com - Individual Run - Speedrunning community data ↩ ↩2

  26. Speedrun.com - After Dark Games - Leaderboards and statistics ↩ ↩2

  27. SuperUser - Windows 10 Compatibility - Technical support discussion ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  28. GOG - After Dark Games Wishlist - User wishlist page ↩

  29. Internet Archive - After Dark Games - Additional archived copy of software ↩

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