diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 6a8bc10..aa4e436 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,2 +1,7 @@
-.vscode
-build
\ No newline at end of file
+.cache
+.vscode/*
+!.vscode/tasks.json
+!.vscode/launch.json
+bin
+obj
+compile_commands.json
diff --git a/.vscode/launch.json b/.vscode/launch.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..43342b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.vscode/launch.json
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+{
+    "version": "2.0.0",
+    "configurations": [
+        {
+            "name": "(lldb) C Launch",
+            "type": "lldb",
+            "request": "launch",
+            "program": "",
+            "linux": {
+                "program": "${workspaceFolder}/bin/linux-x86_64/breakout_clone",
+                "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}/bin/linux-x86_64",
+                "preLaunchTask": "build linux-x86_64",
+            },
+            "windows": {
+                "program": "${workspaceFolder}/bin/win-x86_64/breakout_clone",
+                "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}/bin/win-x86_64",
+                "preLaunchTask": "build win-x86_64",
+            },
+            "args": [],
+            "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",
+        }
+    ]
+}
diff --git a/.vscode/tasks.json b/.vscode/tasks.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e46ad28
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.vscode/tasks.json
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+{
+    "version": "2.0.0",
+    "tasks": [
+        {
+            "type": "shell",
+            "label": "build linux-x86_64",
+            "command": "make",
+            "args": [
+                "linux-x86_64"
+            ],
+            "options": {
+                "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}"
+            },
+            "group": {
+                "kind": "build",
+                "isDefault": true
+            },
+            "detail": "builds the program for linux x86_64"
+        },
+        {
+            "type": "shell",
+            "label": "build win-x86_64",
+            "command": "make",
+            "args": [
+                "win-x86_64"
+            ],
+            "options": {
+                "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}"
+            },
+            "group": {
+                "kind": "build",
+                "isDefault": false
+            },
+            "detail": "builds the program for windows x86_64"
+        },
+        {
+            "type": "shell",
+            "label": "build web",
+            "command": "make",
+            "args": [
+                "web"
+            ],
+            "options": {
+                "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}"
+            },
+            "group": {
+                "kind": "build",
+                "isDefault": false
+            },
+            "detail": "builds the program for web using emscripten"
+        }
+    ]
+}
diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index 756d52f..0000000
--- a/build.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,71 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-
-# define variables
-PROJECT_NAME=${PWD##*/}
-BUILD_DIR="./build"
-INCLUDE_IN_BUILD="./assets"
-
-# compilation targets
-args_linux86_64()
-{
-    ARCHITECTURE="linux-86_64"
-    COMPILER="/bin/gcc"
-    ARGS="-lSDL2"
-    FILE_EXSTENSION=""
-}
-
-args_win86-64()
-{
-    ARCHITECTURE="win-86_64"
-    COMPILER="/usr/bin/x86_64-w64-mingw32-gcc"
-    ARGS="-lmingw32 -lSDL2main -lSDL2 -mwindows"
-    INCLUDE_IN_BUILD="$INCLUDE_IN_BUILD /usr/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/SDL2.dll"
-    FILE_EXSTENSION=".exe"
-}
-
-args_emscripten()
-{
-    ARCHITECTURE="web"
-    COMPILER="emcc"         # just make sure it's in $PATH (it's a pain to install)
-    ARGS="-s USE_SDL=2"
-    FILE_EXSTENSION=".html"
-}
-
-# handle arguments
-if [ "$1" = "linux86_64" ]; then args_linux86_64
-elif [ "$1" = "win86_64" ]; then args_win86-64
-elif [ "$1" = "web" ]; then args_emscripten
-else echo -e "\033[91mdidn't include any arguments! D:\033[0m" && exit 1
-fi
-
-# check whether $BUILD_DIR or $ARCHITECTURE isn't set
-if [[ -z $BUILD_DIR ]] || [[ -z "$ARCHITECTURE" ]]; then
-    echo -e "\033[91mBUILD_DIR or ARCHITECTURE not set D:\033[0m"
-    exit 1
-fi
-
-
-# make (and clear) the build directory
-mkdir -p "$BUILD_DIR/$ARCHITECTURE"
-rm -rf "${BUILD_DIR:?}/$ARCHITECTURE/*"
-
-# copy included files or directories to the build directory
-if [[ -n $INCLUDE_IN_BUILD ]]; then
-    cp -r "$INCLUDE_IN_BUILD" "$BUILD_DIR/$ARCHITECTURE"
-fi
-
-# get the executable path
-EXE_PATH=$BUILD_DIR/$ARCHITECTURE/$PROJECT_NAME$FILE_EXSTENSION
-echo "building at: $EXE_PATH"
-
-# check whether the compiler can actually be executed
-if [ ! -x "$COMPILER" ] && ! command -v "$COMPILER" > /dev/null; then
-    echo -e "\033[91mCouldn't find an executable at path: \033[0m $COMPILER"
-    exit 1
-fi
-
-# compile the code
-COMMAND="$COMPILER $(find ./src -name "*.c") -o $EXE_PATH -Wall -g -lm $ARGS"
-echo "using command: $COMMAND"
-$COMMAND
-exit $?
diff --git a/makefile b/makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0c298e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+NAME = breakout_clone
+
+# compiler settings
+CC := clang
+STD := c17
+LANG = c
+CFLAGS := $(shell pkg-config --cflags sdl2) -Wall -g -pedantic
+LDFLAGS := $(shell pkg-config --libs sdl2) -lm
+
+# dirs
+DIR_BIN := bin
+DIR_OBJ := obj
+DIR := $(DIR_BIN)/$(ARCH) $(DIR_OBJ)/$(ARCH)
+
+# source files
+SRC := $(wildcard src/*.c) $(wildcard src/**/*.c) $(wildcard src/**/**/*.c) $(wildcard src/**/**/**/*.c) $(wildcard src/**/**/**/**/*.c)
+SRC_ASSETS := $(wildcard assets/*)
+
+# output locations
+OBJ := $(patsubst src/%,$(DIR_OBJ)/$(ARCH)/%,$(SRC:.c=.o))
+DEP := $(OBJ:.o=.d)
+ASSETS := $(patsubst assets/%,$(DIR_BIN)/$(ARCH)/%,$(SRC_ASSETS))
+TARGET := $(DIR_BIN)/$(ARCH)/$(NAME)$(EXT)
+
+
+# sets the variables for the different targets
+linux-x86_64:
+	$(MAKE) build ARCH=linux-x86_64 CFLAGS="$(CFLAGS) -target x86_64-pc-linux-gnu"
+win-x86_64:
+	$(MAKE) build ARCH=win-x86-64 CFLAGS="$(CFLAGS) -target x86_64-pc-windows-gnu" EXT=".exe"
+web:
+	$(MAKE) build ARCH=web CC=emcc EXT=".html"
+
+all: linux-x86_64 win-x86_64 web
+build: $(DIR) $(TARGET) $(ASSETS) compile_commands.json
+clean:
+	rm -rf $(DIR_BIN) $(DIR_OBJ)
+
+# create the binary
+$(TARGET): $(OBJ)
+	$(CC) -o $(TARGET) $^ $(CFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS)
+
+# create .o and .d files
+$(DIR_OBJ)/$(ARCH)/%.o: src/%.c
+	@mkdir -p $(dir $@)
+	$(CC) -o $@ -MD -MP -c $< $(CFLAGS) -std=$(STD) -x $(LANG) -Wno-unused-command-line-argument
+
+# copy assets
+$(DIR_BIN)/$(ARCH)/%: assets/%
+	@mkdir -p $(dir $@)
+	cp $< $@
+
+# create directories
+$(DIR):
+	@mkdir -p $@
+
+# update compile commands if the makefile has been updated (for linting)
+ifeq ($(NO_CMDS),1)
+compile_commands.json: makefile
+else
+compile_commands.json: makefile
+	@touch compile_commands.json
+	$(MAKE) clean
+	bear -- make
+endif
+
+# include the dependencies
+-include $(DEP)
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 59d8280..ea0e337 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ static void init(void) {
 
     // initialize audio
     level->audio_device = audio_device_init(32000, AUDIO_S16, 1, 4096);
-    level->bounce_sfx = audio_load_wav(level->audio_device, "./assets/bounce.wav");
+    level->bounce_sfx = audio_load_wav(level->audio_device, "./bounce.wav");
 }
 
 // handles game application updating