diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 2575ab0..aa4e436 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
+.cache
 .vscode/*
 !.vscode/tasks.json
 !.vscode/launch.json
-build
+bin
+obj
+compile_commands.json
diff --git a/.vscode/launch.json b/.vscode/launch.json
index 0258d4f..797639f 100644
--- a/.vscode/launch.json
+++ b/.vscode/launch.json
@@ -2,30 +2,20 @@
     "version": "2.0.0",
     "configurations": [
         {
-            "name": "(gdb) C Launch",
-            "type": "cppdbg",
+            "name": "(lldb) C Launch",
+            "type": "lldb",
             "request": "launch",
-            "program": "${workspaceFolder}/build/linux-86_64/${workspaceFolderBasename}",
+            "program": "",
+            "linux": {
+                "program": "${workspaceFolder}/bin/linux-x86_64/sdl_template",
+                "preLaunchTask": "build linux-x86_64"
+            },
+            "windows": {
+                "program": "${workspaceFolder}/bin/win-x86_64/sdl_template",
+                "preLaunchTask": "build win-x86_64"
+            },
             "args": [],
-            "stopAtEntry": false,
             "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",
-            "environment": [],
-            "externalConsole": false,
-            "miDebuggerPath": "/usr/bin/gdb",
-            "MIMode": "gdb",
-            "setupCommands": [
-                {
-                    "description": "Enable pretty-printing for gdb",
-                    "text": "-enable-pretty-printing",
-                    "ignoreFailures": true
-                },
-                {
-                    "description": "Set Disassembly Flavor to Intel",
-                    "text": "-gdb-set disassembly-flavor intel",
-                    "ignoreFailures": true
-                }
-            ],
-            "preLaunchTask": "build linux86_64"
         }
     ]
 }
diff --git a/.vscode/tasks.json b/.vscode/tasks.json
index 01d44c5..cdbd550 100644
--- a/.vscode/tasks.json
+++ b/.vscode/tasks.json
@@ -1,18 +1,16 @@
 {
+    "version": "2.0.0",
     "tasks": [
         {
             "type": "shell",
-            "label": "build linux86_64",
-            "command": "./build.sh",
+            "label": "build linux-x86_64",
+            "command": "make",
             "args": [
-                "linux86_64"
+                "linux-x86_64"
             ],
             "options": {
                 "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}"
             },
-            "problemMatcher": [
-                "$gcc"
-            ],
             "group": {
                 "kind": "build",
                 "isDefault": true
@@ -21,17 +19,14 @@
         },
         {
             "type": "shell",
-            "label": "build win86_64",
-            "command": "./build.sh",
+            "label": "build win-x86_64",
+            "command": "make",
             "args": [
-                "win86_64"
+                "win-x86_64"
             ],
             "options": {
                 "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}"
             },
-            "problemMatcher": [
-                "$gcc"
-            ],
             "group": {
                 "kind": "build",
                 "isDefault": false
@@ -41,22 +36,26 @@
         {
             "type": "shell",
             "label": "build web",
-            "command": "./build.sh",
+            "command": "make",
             "args": [
                 "web"
             ],
             "options": {
                 "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}"
             },
-            "problemMatcher": [
-                "$gcc"
-            ],
             "group": {
                 "kind": "build",
                 "isDefault": false
             },
             "detail": "builds the program for web using emscripten"
+        },
+        {
+            "label": "create compile_commands.json",
+            "type": "shell",
+            "command": "bear -- make",
+            "runOptions": {
+                "runOn": "folderOpen"
+            }
         }
-    ],
-    "version": "2.0.0"
+    ]
 }
diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index 756d52f..0000000
--- a/build.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,71 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-
-# define variables
-PROJECT_NAME=${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/build/linux-86_64/assets/uwu b/build/linux-86_64/assets/uwu
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e108e50
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build/linux-86_64/assets/uwu
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+uwu
diff --git a/build/linux-86_64/tetris_clone b/build/linux-86_64/tetris_clone
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..e38c277
Binary files /dev/null and b/build/linux-86_64/tetris_clone differ
diff --git a/makefile b/makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7a65bd6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+NAME = sdl_template
+
+# compiler settings
+CC := clang
+CFLAGS = $(shell pkg-config --cflags sdl2) -Wall -g
+LDFLAGS = $(shell pkg-config --libs sdl2) -lm
+
+# file locations
+DIR_BIN := bin
+DIR_OBJ := obj
+SRC = $(wildcard src/*.c) $(wildcard src/**/*.c) $(wildcard src/**/**/*.c) $(wildcard src/**/**/**/*.c) $(wildcard src/**/**/**/**/*.c)
+OBJ = $(patsubst src/%,$(DIR_OBJ)/$(ARCH)/%,$(SRC:.c=.o))
+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
+
+clean:
+	rm -rf $(DIR_BIN) $(DIR_OBJ)
+
+build: dirs binary
+
+# creates the binary
+binary: $(OBJ)
+	$(CC) -o $(TARGET) $^ $(CFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS)
+
+# creates the object files, include a flag for no unused command line arguments, because in this context it's unneeded
+$(DIR_OBJ)/$(ARCH)/%.o: src/%.c
+	mkdir -p $(dir $@)
+	$(CC) -o $@ -c $< $(CFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS) -Wno-unused-command-line-argument
+
+dirs:
+	mkdir -p $(DIR_BIN)/$(ARCH)
+	mkdir -p $(DIR_OBJ)/$(ARCH)