diff --git a/src/game/game.c b/src/game/game.c
index 031c47c..8645c8c 100644
--- a/src/game/game.c
+++ b/src/game/game.c
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ void game_init(GameData* const game_data) {
     *game_data = (GameData){0};
 
     // write the pointer information for the rows
-    for (uint8_t i = 0; i < ROWS; i++)
+    for (int8_t i = 0; i < ROWS; i++)
         game_data->row[i] = game_data->row_raw[i];
 
     // set a random seed using the system clock
diff --git a/src/game/game.h b/src/game/game.h
index 8c6f6ec..2a92e2d 100644
--- a/src/game/game.h
+++ b/src/game/game.h
@@ -6,13 +6,13 @@
 #include "tetromino/shapes.h"
 
 // stores the data used in the game
-#define COLUMNS ((uint8_t)16)
-#define ROWS    ((uint8_t)(COLUMNS * 2))
+#define COLUMNS ((int8_t)16)
+#define ROWS    ((int8_t)(COLUMNS * 2))
 
 typedef struct {
     ShapeId id;
-    uint8_t x;
-    uint8_t y;
+    int8_t x;
+    int8_t y;
 } SelectedShape;
 
 typedef const Colour* CRow;
diff --git a/src/game/tetromino/placing.c b/src/game/tetromino/placing.c
index 8fb37da..82a4178 100644
--- a/src/game/tetromino/placing.c
+++ b/src/game/tetromino/placing.c
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 
 
 static bool is_filled(CRow row) {
-    for (uint8_t x = 0; x < COLUMNS; x++) {
+    for (int8_t x = 0; x < COLUMNS; x++) {
         if (row[x].packed == NONE) {
             return false;
         }
@@ -18,11 +18,11 @@ static bool is_filled(CRow row) {
 }
 
 static void clear_rows(Row* row) {
-    uint8_t filled = 0;
+    int8_t filled = 0;
 
     // loop through each row (excluding the empty rows at the top when clearing a line)
-    for (uint8_t y = 0; y < (ROWS - filled); y++) {
-        const uint8_t i = (ROWS - 1) - y; // get the index starting from the bottom
+    for (int8_t y = 0; y < (ROWS - filled); y++) {
+        const int8_t i = (ROWS - 1) - y; // get the index starting from the bottom
 
         Row row_cache = row[i];   // cache this row address in case the row is filled
         row[i] = row[i - filled]; // set the row to the new or same address
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ static void clear_rows(Row* row) {
         if (!is_filled(row[i])) continue;
 
         // zero out the cache
-        for (uint8_t x = 0; x < COLUMNS; x++)
+        for (int8_t x = 0; x < COLUMNS; x++)
             row_cache[x].packed = 0;
 
         // write the cached address to a row starting from the top
@@ -41,36 +41,36 @@ static void clear_rows(Row* row) {
 }
 
 // sets a shape to the screen
-static void set_shape_i(Row* row, const ShapeId id, const uint8_t pos_x) {
+static void set_shape_i(Row* row, const ShapeId id, const int8_t pos_x) {
     const Shape shape = shape_from_id(id);
     const Colour colour = colour_from_id(id);
-    for (uint8_t y = 0; y < SHAPE_HEIGHT; y++) {
+    for (int8_t y = 0; y < SHAPE_HEIGHT; y++) {
         ShapeRow shape_row = shape_get_row(shape, y);
 
         if (shape_row == 0)
             continue;
 
-        for (uint8_t x = 0; x < SHAPE_WIDTH; x++)
+        for (int8_t x = 0; x < SHAPE_WIDTH; x++)
             if (is_set(shape_row, x))
                 row[y][x + pos_x] = colour;
     }
 }
 
-static inline void set_shape(Row* row, const ShapeId id, const uint8_t pos_x, const uint8_t pos_y) {
+static inline void set_shape(Row* row, const ShapeId id, const int8_t pos_x, const int8_t pos_y) {
     set_shape_i(&row[pos_y], id, pos_x); // calls itself, but omitting the pos_y argument, instead opting for specifying the row
 }
 
-static bool shape_intersects(const Row* rows, const ShapeId id, const uint8_t x, const uint8_t y) {
+static bool shape_intersects(const Row* rows, const ShapeId id, const int8_t x, const int8_t y) {
     const Shape shape = shape_from_id(id);
 
-    for (uint8_t y0 = 0; y0 < SHAPE_HEIGHT; y0++) {
+    for (int8_t y0 = 0; y0 < SHAPE_HEIGHT; y0++) {
         const ShapeRow shape_row = shape_get_row(shape, y0); // get the shape row
         if (shape_row == 0) continue;                        // if the row doesn't contain data; continue
 
-        for (uint8_t x0 = 0; x0 < SHAPE_WIDTH; x0++) {
+        for (int8_t x0 = 0; x0 < SHAPE_WIDTH; x0++) {
             if (is_set(shape_row, x0) == false) continue; // if the bit isn't set at this index; continue
-            const uint8_t x1 = x + x0;
-            const uint8_t y1 = y + y0;
+            const int8_t x1 = x + x0;
+            const int8_t y1 = y + y0;
 
             if (x1 < 0 || x1 >= COLUMNS) return true;  // if X is out of bounds
             if (y1 < 0 || y1 >= ROWS) return true;     // if Y is out of bounds
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ void place_update(GameData* const game_data, const InputData move) {
     SelectedShape* const selected = &game_data->selected;
     // set the shape if we moved vertically and intersected
     if (move & 4) {
-        const uint8_t y = selected->y + 1;
+        const int8_t y = selected->y + 1;
         if (shape_intersects(game_data->row, selected->id, selected->x, y)) {
             set_shape(game_data->row, selected->id, selected->x, selected->y); // if the shape intersects vertically, write the shape at the current position and return
             clear_rows(game_data->row);                                        // clear the rows that have been completed
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ void place_update(GameData* const game_data, const InputData move) {
 
     // update shape's X coordinate movement
     if ((move & 3) != 3 && (move & 3)) {
-        const uint8_t x = selected->x + ((move & 3) == 1 ? -1 : 1); // either move along -x or +x
+        const int8_t x = selected->x + ((move & 3) == 1 ? -1 : 1); // either move along -x or +x
         if (shape_intersects(game_data->row, selected->id, x, selected->y) == false) {
             selected->x = x; // set X if the shape does not intersect
         }
diff --git a/src/window/renderer.c b/src/window/renderer.c
index 9e83955..3377612 100644
--- a/src/window/renderer.c
+++ b/src/window/renderer.c
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ int renderer_init(SDL_Window** window, SDL_Renderer** renderer) {
 }
 
 // draws a block at the specified position
-static inline int draw_block(SDL_Renderer* renderer, uint8_t x, uint8_t y) {
+static inline int draw_block(SDL_Renderer* renderer, int8_t x, int8_t y) {
     return SDL_RenderFillRect(renderer, &(SDL_Rect){x * BLOCK_WIDTH + 1, y * BLOCK_HEIGHT + 1, BLOCK_WIDTH - 1, BLOCK_HEIGHT - 1});
 }
 
@@ -48,13 +48,13 @@ static void render_selected(SDL_Renderer* renderer, SelectedShape selected) {
     Shape selected_shape = shape_from_id(selected.id);
     set_colour(renderer, colour_from_id(selected.id));
 
-    for (uint8_t y = 0; y < SHAPE_HEIGHT; y++) {
+    for (int8_t y = 0; y < SHAPE_HEIGHT; y++) {
         ShapeRow shape_row = shape_get_row(selected_shape, y);
 
         if (shape_row == 0)
             continue;
 
-        for (uint8_t x = 0; x < SHAPE_WIDTH; x++)
+        for (int8_t x = 0; x < SHAPE_WIDTH; x++)
             if (is_set(shape_row, x))
                 draw_block(renderer, selected.x + x, selected.y + y);
     }
@@ -62,10 +62,10 @@ static void render_selected(SDL_Renderer* renderer, SelectedShape selected) {
 
 // draw the block data in the level
 static void render_level(SDL_Renderer* renderer, GameData* data) {
-    for (uint8_t y = 0; y < ROWS; y++) {
+    for (int8_t y = 0; y < ROWS; y++) {
         Row row = data->row[y];
 
-        for (uint8_t x = 0; x < COLUMNS; x++) {
+        for (int8_t x = 0; x < COLUMNS; x++) {
             if (row[x].packed != 0) {
                 set_colour(renderer, row[x]);
                 draw_block(renderer, x, y);