diff --git a/src/states/preload.rs b/src/states/preload.rs
index bb5d1d4..c60b6fd 100644
--- a/src/states/preload.rs
+++ b/src/states/preload.rs
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ impl SimpleState for PreloadState {
             } else if counter.is_complete() {
                 println!("completed load!");
                 world.delete_all();
-                Trans::Switch(Box::new(crate::states::titlescreen::TitleScreenState))
+                Trans::Switch(Box::new(crate::states::titlescreen::TitleScreenState::default()))
             } else {
                 Trans::None
             }
diff --git a/src/states/titlescreen.rs b/src/states/titlescreen.rs
index 0571c4e..01ba41b 100644
--- a/src/states/titlescreen.rs
+++ b/src/states/titlescreen.rs
@@ -2,9 +2,10 @@
 use crate::resources::{font::FontResource, spritesheet::SpriteSheetMap};
 use amethyst::{
     core::transform::Transform,
+    ecs::prelude::*,
     prelude::*,
     renderer::{Camera, SpriteRender},
-    ui::{Anchor, UiImage, UiText, UiTransform},
+    ui::{Anchor, Interactable, UiEventType, UiImage, UiText, UiTransform},
     window::ScreenDimensions,
 };
 use nalgebra::Vector3;
@@ -14,11 +15,17 @@ const DEFAULT_SPRITE_WIDTH: f32 = 256.0;
 const DEFAULT_SPRITE_HEIGHT: f32 = 144.0;
 
 /// struct for title screen state
-pub struct TitleScreenState;
+#[derive(Default)]
+pub struct TitleScreenState {
+    exit_button: Option<Entity>,
+    settings_button: Option<Entity>,
+    load_button: Option<Entity>,
+    new_button: Option<Entity>,
+}
 
 impl TitleScreenState {
     /// initialize the titlescreen
-    fn init(&self, world: &mut World, dimensions: ScreenDimensions) {
+    fn init(&mut self, world: &mut World, dimensions: ScreenDimensions) {
         self.init_camera(world, &dimensions);
         self.init_ui(world);
         self.init_scenery(world, &dimensions);
@@ -37,7 +44,7 @@ impl TitleScreenState {
     }
 
     // initialize the ui
-    fn init_ui(&self, world: &mut World) {
+    fn init_ui(&mut self, world: &mut World) {
         // get the font handle
         let font_handle = {
             if let Some(font_rsc) = world.try_fetch::<FontResource>() {
@@ -69,7 +76,7 @@ impl TitleScreenState {
             .build();
 
         // create the buttons
-        world
+        let exit_button = world
             .create_entity()
             .with(UiTransform::new(
                 "exit_button".into(),
@@ -83,8 +90,9 @@ impl TitleScreenState {
             ))
             .with(UiText::new(font_handle.clone(), "Exit".into(), [1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0], 30.0))
             .with(UiImage::SolidColor([0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0]))
+            .with(Interactable)
             .build();
-        world
+        let settings_button = world
             .create_entity()
             .with(UiTransform::new(
                 "settings_button".into(),
@@ -98,8 +106,9 @@ impl TitleScreenState {
             ))
             .with(UiText::new(font_handle.clone(), "Settings".into(), [1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0], 30.0))
             .with(UiImage::SolidColor([0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0]))
+            .with(Interactable)
             .build();
-        world
+        let load_button = world
             .create_entity()
             .with(UiTransform::new(
                 "load_button".into(),
@@ -113,8 +122,9 @@ impl TitleScreenState {
             ))
             .with(UiText::new(font_handle.clone(), "Load Game".into(), [1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0], 30.0))
             .with(UiImage::SolidColor([0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0]))
+            .with(Interactable)
             .build();
-        world
+        let new_button = world
             .create_entity()
             .with(UiTransform::new(
                 "new_button".into(),
@@ -128,7 +138,14 @@ impl TitleScreenState {
             ))
             .with(UiText::new(font_handle, "New Game".into(), [1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0], 30.0))
             .with(UiImage::SolidColor([0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0]))
+            .with(Interactable)
             .build();
+
+        // set ui elements in state struct
+        self.exit_button = Some(exit_button);
+        self.settings_button = Some(settings_button);
+        self.load_button = Some(load_button);
+        self.new_button = Some(new_button);
     }
 
     // initialize the scenery
@@ -179,4 +196,25 @@ impl SimpleState for TitleScreenState {
 
         self.init(world, dimensions);
     }
+
+    fn handle_event(
+        &mut self,
+        _data: StateData<'_, GameData<'_, '_>>,
+        event: StateEvent,
+    ) -> SimpleTrans {
+        if let StateEvent::Ui(ui_event) = event {
+            if ui_event.target == self.exit_button.unwrap() {
+                if ui_event.event_type == UiEventType::Click {
+                    println!("exit requested");
+                    Trans::Quit
+                } else {
+                    Trans::None
+                }
+            } else {
+                Trans::None
+            }
+        } else {
+            Trans::None
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/systems/mod.rs b/src/systems/mod.rs
index e69de29..8b13789 100644
--- a/src/systems/mod.rs
+++ b/src/systems/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+