diff --git a/internal/app/buffer.go b/internal/app/buffer.go
index 7d61f6b..38bf1ed 100644
--- a/internal/app/buffer.go
+++ b/internal/app/buffer.go
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 package app
 
+import (
+	"github.com/gdamore/tcell/v2"
+	"github.com/jordanorelli/astro-domu/internal/math"
+)
+
 // buffer is a rect of tiles
 type buffer struct {
 	width  int
@@ -8,12 +13,45 @@ type buffer struct {
 }
 
 func newBuffer(width, height int) *buffer {
-	return &buffer{
-		width:  width,
-		height: height,
-		tiles:  make([]tile, width*height),
+	b := &buffer{width: width, height: height}
+	b.clear()
+	return b
+}
+
+func (b *buffer) set(x, y int, t tile) bool {
+	n := y*b.width + x
+	if n >= len(b.tiles) {
+		return false
+	}
+	b.tiles[n] = t
+	return true
+}
+
+func (b *buffer) get(x, y int) (tile, bool) {
+	n := y*b.width + x
+	if n >= len(b.tiles) {
+		return tile{}, false
 	}
+	return b.tiles[n], true
 }
 
-func (b *buffer) set(x, y int, t tile) { b.tiles[y*b.width+x] = t }
-func (b *buffer) get(x, y int) tile    { return b.tiles[y*b.width+x] }
+func (b *buffer) writeString(s string, start math.Vec, style tcell.Style) {
+	for i, r := range []rune(s) {
+		if !b.set(start.X+i, start.Y, tile{r: r, style: style}) {
+			break
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func (b *buffer) clear() { b.tiles = make([]tile, b.width*b.height) }
+
+func (b *buffer) blit(s tcell.Screen, offset math.Vec) {
+	for x := 0; x < b.width; x++ {
+		for y := 0; y < b.height; y++ {
+			t, ok := b.get(x, y)
+			if ok {
+				s.SetContent(x+offset.X, y+offset.Y, t.r, nil, t.style)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/app/game_view.go b/internal/app/game_view.go
index 0203a5d..726e983 100644
--- a/internal/app/game_view.go
+++ b/internal/app/game_view.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package app
 
 import (
 	"github.com/gdamore/tcell/v2"
-	"github.com/jordanorelli/astro-domu/internal/math"
 	"github.com/jordanorelli/astro-domu/internal/sim"
 	"github.com/jordanorelli/astro-domu/internal/wire"
 	"github.com/jordanorelli/blammo"
@@ -41,32 +40,47 @@ func (v *gameView) move(ui *UI, dx, dy int) {
 	go ui.client.Send(sim.Move{dx, dy})
 }
 
-func (v *gameView) draw(ui *UI) {
-	offset := point{1, 1}
+func (v *gameView) draw(b *buffer) {
+	v.drawHeader(b)
 
 	// fill in background dots first
 	for x := 0; x < v.room.Width; x++ {
 		for y := 0; y < v.room.Height; y++ {
-			ui.screen.SetContent(x+offset.x, y+offset.y, '·', nil, tcell.StyleDefault)
+			b.set(x+1, y+2, tile{r: '·', style: tcell.StyleDefault})
 		}
 	}
-
-	// frame it
-	ui.screen.SetContent(offset.x-1, offset.y-1, '┌', nil, tcell.StyleDefault)
-	ui.screen.SetContent(offset.x+v.room.Width, offset.y-1, '┐', nil, tcell.StyleDefault)
-	ui.screen.SetContent(offset.x-1, offset.y+v.room.Height, '└', nil, tcell.StyleDefault)
-	ui.screen.SetContent(offset.x+v.room.Width, offset.y+v.room.Height, '┘', nil, tcell.StyleDefault)
+	b.set(0, 1, tile{r: '┌'})
+	b.set(v.room.Width+1, 1, tile{r: '┐'})
+	b.set(0, v.room.Height+2, tile{r: '└'})
+	b.set(v.room.Width+1, v.room.Height+2, tile{r: '┘'})
 	for x := 0; x < v.room.Width; x++ {
-		ui.screen.SetContent(x+offset.x, offset.y-1, '─', nil, tcell.StyleDefault)
-		ui.screen.SetContent(x+offset.x, offset.y+v.room.Height, '─', nil, tcell.StyleDefault)
+		b.set(x+1, 1, tile{r: '─'})
+		b.set(x+1, v.room.Height+2, tile{r: '─'})
 	}
 	for y := 0; y < v.room.Height; y++ {
-		ui.screen.SetContent(offset.x-1, y+offset.y, '│', nil, tcell.StyleDefault)
-		ui.screen.SetContent(offset.x+v.room.Width, y+offset.y, '│', nil, tcell.StyleDefault)
+		b.set(0, y+2, tile{r: '│'})
+		b.set(v.room.Width+1, y+2, tile{r: '│'})
 	}
-
 	for _, e := range v.room.Entities {
-		pos := e.Position.Add(math.Vec{1, 1})
-		ui.screen.SetContent(pos.X, pos.Y, e.Glyph, nil, tcell.StyleDefault)
+		pos := e.Position
+		b.set(pos.X+1, pos.Y+2, tile{r: e.Glyph, style: tcell.StyleDefault})
+	}
+
+}
+
+func (v *gameView) drawHeader(b *buffer) {
+	// the first row is the name of the room that we're currently in
+	var style tcell.Style
+	style = style.Background(tcell.NewRGBColor(64, 64, 128))
+	style = style.Foreground(tcell.NewRGBColor(0, 0, 0))
+
+	runes := []rune(v.room.Name)
+
+	for i := 0; i < b.width; i++ {
+		if i < len(runes) {
+			b.set(i, 0, tile{r: runes[i], style: style})
+		} else {
+			b.set(i, 0, tile{r: ' ', style: style})
+		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/internal/app/ui.go b/internal/app/ui.go
index 28e20eb..f145f51 100644
--- a/internal/app/ui.go
+++ b/internal/app/ui.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/gdamore/tcell/v2"
 	"github.com/jordanorelli/astro-domu/internal/exit"
+	"github.com/jordanorelli/astro-domu/internal/math"
 	"github.com/jordanorelli/astro-domu/internal/wire"
 	"github.com/jordanorelli/blammo"
 )
@@ -107,8 +108,7 @@ func (ui *UI) handleNotifications(c <-chan wire.Response) {
 	for n := range c {
 		if ui.handleNotification(n.Body) {
 			if ui.view != nil {
-				ui.view.draw(ui)
-				ui.screen.Show()
+				ui.render()
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ func (ui *UI) writeString(x, y int, s string, style tcell.Style) {
 
 func (ui *UI) handleUserInput() bool {
 	ui.screen.Clear()
-	ui.view.draw(ui)
+	ui.render()
 
 	for {
 		e := ui.screen.PollEvent()
@@ -180,7 +180,15 @@ func (ui *UI) handleUserInput() bool {
 
 		ui.view.handleEvent(ui, e)
 		ui.screen.Clear()
-		ui.view.draw(ui)
+		ui.render()
 		ui.screen.Show()
 	}
 }
+
+func (ui *UI) render() {
+	width, height := ui.screen.Size()
+	b := newBuffer(width, height)
+	ui.view.draw(b)
+	b.blit(ui.screen, math.Vec{1, 1})
+	ui.screen.Show()
+}
diff --git a/internal/app/view.go b/internal/app/view.go
index dec353e..c5fb45e 100644
--- a/internal/app/view.go
+++ b/internal/app/view.go
@@ -6,5 +6,5 @@ import (
 
 type view interface {
 	handleEvent(*UI, tcell.Event) bool
-	draw(*UI)
+	draw(*buffer)
 }
diff --git a/internal/sim/server.go b/internal/sim/server.go
index 089feb9..5b992c2 100644
--- a/internal/sim/server.go
+++ b/internal/sim/server.go
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ func (s *Server) Start(host string, port int) error {
 	}
 
 	s.world = newWorld(s.Log.Child("world"))
-	go s.world.run(2)
+	go s.world.run(30)
 
 	addr := fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", host, port)
 	lis, err := net.Listen("tcp", addr)