diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 75ab421..0b52c9b 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -8,10 +8,15 @@ ftxui_screen = dependency('ftxui-screen')
 ftxui_dom = dependency('ftxui-dom')
 ftxui_component = dependency('ftxui-component')
 sfml = dependency('sfml')
+lua = dependency('lua')
+sol2 = dependency('sol2')
 
-dependencies = [catch2, fmt,
-  ftxui_screen, ftxui_dom, ftxui_component,
-  json, sfml]
+dependencies = [
+  catch2, fmt,
+  ftxui_screen, ftxui_dom,
+  ftxui_component, json,
+  sfml, lua, sol2
+]
 
 runtests = executable('runtests', [
   'dbc.cpp',
@@ -24,6 +29,7 @@ runtests = executable('runtests', [
   'config.cpp',
   'save.cpp',
   'panel.cpp',
+  'render.cpp',
   'tests/fsm.cpp',
   'tests/dbc.cpp',
   'tests/map.cpp',
@@ -34,6 +40,8 @@ runtests = executable('runtests', [
   'tests/ansi_parser.cpp',
   'tests/config.cpp',
   'tests/save.cpp',
+  'tests/render.cpp',
+  'tests/panel.cpp',
   ],
   dependencies: dependencies)
 
@@ -64,4 +72,9 @@ img2ansi = executable('img2ansi', [
   ],
   dependencies: dependencies)
 
+luatest = executable('luatest', [
+  'scratchpad/luatest.cpp'
+  ],
+dependencies: dependencies)
+
 test('tests', runtests)
diff --git a/panel.cpp b/panel.cpp
index fa822c6..30b9ec8 100644
--- a/panel.cpp
+++ b/panel.cpp
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #include "panel.hpp"
+#include "dbc.hpp"
 
 void Panel::resize(int w, int h) {
   $dirty = true;
@@ -13,6 +14,7 @@ void Panel::set_renderer(Component renderer) {
 }
 
 void Panel::add(Component child) {
+  dbc::pre("must set_renderer first", $component != nullptr);
   $dirty = true;
   $component->Add(child);
 }
diff --git a/panel.hpp b/panel.hpp
index e2e427a..e6d5bd8 100644
--- a/panel.hpp
+++ b/panel.hpp
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ struct Panel {
   int border_px = UI_PANEL_BORDER_PX;
 
   bool $dirty = true;
-  Component $component;
+  Component $component = nullptr;
   Screen $screen;
   std::wstring_convert<std::codecvt_utf8_utf16<wchar_t>> $converter;
   std::wstring $screenout;
diff --git a/scratchpad/luatest.cpp b/scratchpad/luatest.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1924a20
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scratchpad/luatest.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+#define SOL_ALL_SAFETIES_ON 1
+#include <sol/sol.hpp>
+
+#include <iostream>
+
+int main(int, char*[]) {
+  std::cout << "=== opening a state ===" << std::endl;
+
+  sol::state lua;
+  // open some common libraries
+  lua.open_libraries(sol::lib::base, sol::lib::package);
+  lua.script("print('bark bark bark!')");
+
+  std::cout << std::endl;
+
+  return 0;
+}
diff --git a/status.txt b/status.txt
index 64babc6..d91ab3f 100644
--- a/status.txt
+++ b/status.txt
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ TODAY'S GOAL:
 * Better tests and more coverage.
 * Clean up and document as much code as possible.
 * Doxygen? Other docs tool?
+* Add a method to render.cpp that sets terminal true color.
 
 TODO:
 * I can do headless windows in renderer for testing.
diff --git a/systems.cpp b/systems.cpp
index f139eca..445e893 100644
--- a/systems.cpp
+++ b/systems.cpp
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ void System::collision(DinkyECS::World &world, Player &player) {
 }
 
 void System::draw_entities(DinkyECS::World &world, Map &game_map, ftxui::Canvas &canvas, const Point &cam_orig, size_t view_x, size_t view_y) {
-  auto &lighting = game_map.lighting();
+  const auto &lighting = game_map.lighting();
 
   world.query<Position, Tile>([&](const auto &ent, auto &pos, auto &tile) {
     if(pos.location.x >= cam_orig.x && pos.location.x <= cam_orig.x + view_x
diff --git a/tests/ansi_parser.cpp b/tests/ansi_parser.cpp
index 509eb6e..adaa1a4 100644
--- a/tests/ansi_parser.cpp
+++ b/tests/ansi_parser.cpp
@@ -60,9 +60,6 @@ TEST_CASE("test out ragel parser", "[gui]") {
   std::string colors = generate_colors();
   std::wstring colors_utf = $converter.from_bytes(colors);
 
-  std::cout << colors;
-
-
   bool good = ansi.parse(colors_utf,
       [&](sf::Color color, sf::Color bgcolor){
         // ignore color
diff --git a/tests/collider.cpp b/tests/collider.cpp
index 9a6dc1d..2bea07c 100644
--- a/tests/collider.cpp
+++ b/tests/collider.cpp
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ TEST_CASE("confirm basic collision operations", "[collision]") {
   REQUIRE(collider.occupied({12,12}));
   REQUIRE(collider.occupied({21,21}));
   REQUIRE(!collider.occupied({1,10}));
+
+  REQUIRE(collider.get({12,12}) == player);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/tests/map.cpp b/tests/map.cpp
index f04747d..35327f9 100644
--- a/tests/map.cpp
+++ b/tests/map.cpp
@@ -68,6 +68,12 @@ TEST_CASE("lighting test", "[map]") {
 
   map.clear_light_target(light1);
   map.clear_light_target(light2);
+
+  const auto &lighting = map.lighting();
+
+  // confirm light is set at least at and around the two points
+  REQUIRE(lighting[light1.y][light1.x] == lighting::LEVELS[source1.strength]);
+  REQUIRE(lighting[light2.y][light2.x] == lighting::LEVELS[source2.strength]);
 }
 
 TEST_CASE("camera control", "[map]") {
diff --git a/tests/panel.cpp b/tests/panel.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6e28bfe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/panel.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+#include <catch2/catch_test_macros.hpp>
+#include <fmt/core.h>
+#include <ftxui/screen/terminal.hpp>  // for ColorSupport, Color, Palette16, Palette256, TrueColor
+#include <ftxui/dom/elements.hpp>  // for hflow, paragraph, separator, hbox, vbox, filler, operator|, border, Element
+#include "panel.hpp"
+#include "ansi_parser.hpp"
+
+using namespace ftxui;
+using namespace fmt;
+using std::string;
+
+void test_ansi_parsing(Panel &panel) {
+  sf::Color default_fg(0,0,0);
+  sf::Color default_bg(100,100,100);
+  // this sets the Truecolor so need to do it first
+  ANSIParser ansi(default_fg, default_bg);
+
+  bool good = ansi.parse(panel.to_string(),
+    [&](sf::Color color, sf::Color bgcolor){
+      // ignore color
+    },
+    [&](wchar_t ch) {
+      // ignore char
+  });
+
+  REQUIRE(good == true);
+}
+
+TEST_CASE("can render a simple text panel", "[panel]") {
+  ftxui::Terminal::SetColorSupport(ftxui::Terminal::Color::TrueColor);
+
+  Panel text_panel(0, 0, 20, 5);
+
+  bool show_modal = false;
+
+  auto buttons = Container::Horizontal({
+      Button("OK", [&]{ show_modal = false; }),
+      Button("CANCEL", [&]{ show_modal = false; }),
+  });
+
+  auto text_box = Renderer([buttons]{
+      return hbox({
+        hflow(
+            vbox(text("I AM TEXT")),
+            buttons->Render()
+        )});
+    });
+
+  text_panel.set_renderer(text_box);
+  text_panel.add(buttons);
+
+  text_panel.resize(10,10);
+  text_panel.render();
+  test_ansi_parsing(text_panel);
+
+  const Screen &screen = text_panel.screen();
+  REQUIRE(screen.dimx() == 10);
+  REQUIRE(screen.dimx() == 10);
+}
+
+TEST_CASE("can render a simple grid panel", "[panel]") {
+  Terminal::SetColorSupport(Terminal::Color::TrueColor);
+
+  Panel grid_panel(20, 20, 20, 5, true);
+
+  auto text_box = Renderer([]{
+      return hbox({
+        hflow(vbox(text("I AM TEXT")))});
+    });
+
+  grid_panel.set_renderer(text_box);
+  grid_panel.resize(10,10);
+  grid_panel.render();
+  test_ansi_parsing(grid_panel);
+}
diff --git a/tests/render.cpp b/tests/render.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e6b7ad5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/render.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#include <catch2/catch_test_macros.hpp>
+#include <fmt/core.h>
+#include "render.hpp"
+#include "panel.hpp"
+
+using namespace ftxui;
+using namespace fmt;
+using std::string;
+
+void run_renderer(SFMLRender &renderer, Panel &panel) {
+  panel.render();
+  renderer.display();
+  REQUIRE(renderer.is_open() == true);
+  renderer.clear();
+  renderer.draw(panel);
+}
+
+TEST_CASE("can render a text or grid panel", "[render]") {
+  SFMLRender renderer;
+
+  Panel panel(0, 0, 20, 5);
+  Panel grid(200, 200, 20, 5, true);
+
+  auto text_box = Renderer([]{
+      return hbox({
+        hflow(
+            vbox(text("I AM TEXT"))
+        )});
+    });
+
+  panel.set_renderer(text_box);
+  grid.set_renderer(text_box);
+
+  run_renderer(renderer, panel);
+  run_renderer(renderer, grid);
+
+  renderer.close();
+}
diff --git a/tests/save.cpp b/tests/save.cpp
index 83725ae..5ec7e45 100644
--- a/tests/save.cpp
+++ b/tests/save.cpp
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ TEST_CASE("basic save a world", "[save]") {
   world.set<Motion>(player.entity, {0, 0});
   world.set<Combat>(player.entity, {100, 10});
   world.set<Tile>(player.entity, {"@"});
+  world.set<Inventory>(player.entity, {102});
 
   save::to_file("./savetest.world", world, map);
 
@@ -95,4 +96,7 @@ TEST_CASE("basic save a world", "[save]") {
   REQUIRE(map.height() == in_map.height());
   REQUIRE(map.$walls == in_map.$walls);
   REQUIRE(map.$input_map == in_map.$input_map);
+
+  Inventory &inv = world.get<Inventory>(player.entity);
+  REQUIRE(inv.gold == 102);
 }
diff --git a/wraps/lua.wrap b/wraps/lua.wrap
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9749598
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wraps/lua.wrap
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+[wrap-file]
+directory = lua-5.4.6
+source_url = https://www.lua.org/ftp/lua-5.4.6.tar.gz
+source_filename = lua-5.4.6.tar.gz
+source_hash = 7d5ea1b9cb6aa0b59ca3dde1c6adcb57ef83a1ba8e5432c0ecd06bf439b3ad88
+patch_filename = lua_5.4.6-5_patch.zip
+patch_url = https://wrapdb.mesonbuild.com/v2/lua_5.4.6-5/get_patch
+patch_hash = 755ec591b6b4739650ba6bb11b4feca2d221ab7f80f024dd625f50c8932ad76f
+source_fallback_url = https://github.com/mesonbuild/wrapdb/releases/download/lua_5.4.6-5/lua-5.4.6.tar.gz
+wrapdb_version = 5.4.6-5
+
+[provide]
+lua-5.4 = lua_dep
+lua = lua_dep
diff --git a/wraps/sol2.wrap b/wraps/sol2.wrap
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6bf0517
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wraps/sol2.wrap
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+[wrap-git]
+url = https://github.com/ThePhD/sol2.git
+revision = v3.3.1
+depth = 1
+method = meson
+# patch_filename =
+# patch_hash =
+
+
+[provide]
+sol2 = sol2_dep