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Background Runner
"Alt-tab without the guilt."
How do I install Background Runner?
Download the free ProjectMods desktop app, then install Background Runner for RimWorld in one click.
</>What does Background Runner do?
Ever tab out of RimWorld to check something and come back to a frozen colony? Background Runner keeps time moving even when the window loses focus. Reply to a message, look something up, glance at a stream chat — your colonists keep hauling, cooking, and building the whole time. This is the mod for long-session players who treat RimWorld like a second monitor's worth of ambient life. Set your colony to a steady speed, alt-tab to do something else, and drift back to find things have actually progressed instead of sitting paused on the same tick you left. Great for anyone running RimWorld on a big base where you just want the world to keep turning. Toggle it on when you want passive progress, flip it off when you'd rather the game politely wait for you.
</>What is Background Runner?
Background Runner lets your RimWorld colony keep running even when the game window isn't in focus. Alt-tab to your browser, Discord, or a guide without the world freezing, then jump back in right where things left off. It's a free mod from ProjectMods, the community-first modding platform with one-click install for 400+ PC games.
</>Common questions about Background Runner
What does Background Runner do in RimWorld?
Background Runner keeps your RimWorld colony running even when the game window isn't the active one on your screen. Normally RimWorld quietly slows or pauses the moment you alt-tab away, so a quick check of Discord or a wiki page freezes your colony in place. With this mod on, the simulation keeps ticking at your chosen speed while you're off in another window, then you drop back in exactly where things were headed. It's handy for long-running colonies where you want research, growing, and hauling to continue while you glance at a guide. Toggle it off any time to return to vanilla behaviour.
Does Background Runner keep the game at the same speed when I'm tabbed out?
Yes. Background Runner holds RimWorld at whatever game speed you set before switching windows, so if you leave it on 3x it stays on 3x while you're away. This matters because the whole point is uninterrupted progress — you don't come back to find only a few seconds have passed. Raids, growth cycles, research, and pawn schedules all advance normally in the background. If you'd rather things slow down while you're gone, just pause manually before alt-tabbing, or flip the mod off. It gives you the choice instead of forcing the window-focus pause that vanilla RimWorld applies automatically.
Will events and raids still trigger while the window is in the background?
They will. Because Background Runner keeps the RimWorld simulation live, the storyteller keeps doing its job while you're tabbed out — raids can arrive, weather can turn, and colonists can finish tasks or start new ones. That's worth knowing before you wander off for a while: come back and a raid may already be underway. If you're playing a tense run and don't want surprises, pause first. If you're deep in a relaxed building session and just want the world to keep moving while you reference a layout guide, this is exactly the behaviour you want.
Can I turn Background Runner on and off mid-game?
Yes. Background Runner is a simple toggle you flip on or off from the ProjectMods launcher whenever you like, and the change takes effect without restarting your RimWorld save. Leave it on for long unattended stretches, then switch it off when you want the classic behaviour where the game eases off the moment it loses focus. Toggling off restores vanilla RimWorld exactly — nothing about your colony, pawns, or save is altered permanently. It's a convenience layer that sits on top of the game, so you're always one click away from either mode depending on how you're playing that session.
Why would I use Background Runner instead of just leaving RimWorld focused?
Because real play sessions mean juggling windows. You're checking a wiki for a mechanoid weakness, replying to a message, or lining up a base blueprint in another tab — and vanilla RimWorld stalls every time it loses focus. Background Runner lets a long research project or a slow crop cycle keep progressing while your attention is briefly elsewhere, so you're not babysitting the window just to make time pass. It's especially nice on dual-monitor setups and for players who like to run their colony at speed. It's free from ProjectMods, installs in one click, and toggles off whenever you want vanilla back.
What options does Background Runner include?
Keep Running When Minimized
Turn it on to let the game keep running while it is not the active window.
Background Runner keeps your RimWorld colony ticking along while you alt-tab to another window, so the game no longer pauses the moment it loses focus — a free mod from ProjectMods.
System Requirements
What features does Background Runner include?
- Keeps colony time moving while RimWorld runs in the background, so nothing pauses when the window loses focus
- Lets you alt-tab to another program and return to real progress instead of a frozen tick
- Runs at whatever game speed you set, so your base ticks along at your chosen pace
- Toggle on for passive progress, toggle off any time to have the game wait for you again
Best For
- Long-session base builders who want their sprawling colony to keep working while they answer an email or two
- Streamers who need to glance at chat or swap scenes without their colony grinding to a halt on stream
- Multitaskers running RimWorld on a second monitor who like the world ticking over while they do other things
- Players on huge late-game bases who'd rather let jobs finish in the background than babysit the pause button
Full Belly
Your colonists never get hungry, so you can focus on building and fighting instead of babysitting the kitchen.
Unbreakable
Bullets, blades, fire, falls — your colonists walk away from all of it. Take on the toughest raids without losing anyone.
Skill Forge
Set any colonist's skills to whatever you need and light up their passions. Build a team of masters in seconds.
