diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index e048dfe..e105966 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 # binaries
 *.o
 game
+.sconsign.dblite
diff --git a/.sconsign.dblite b/.sconsign.dblite
deleted file mode 100644
index 82a4aa5..0000000
Binary files a/.sconsign.dblite and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index d3972cf..f3650f0 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -1,6 +1,17 @@
+from pathlib import Path
+import os
 
 project='game'
 
+def glob_recurse(dir):
+    sources = Glob(os.path.join(dir, '*.cpp'))
+    for path in dir.iterdir():
+        if path.is_dir():
+            sources.extend(glob_recurse(path))
+    return sources
+
+sources = glob_recurse(Path('src/'))
+
 env = Environment(CCFLAGS=['-std=c++20', '-Wall', '-O0', '-g3'])
 env.ParseConfig('sdl2-config --static-libs')
-env.Program(project, Glob('src/*.cpp'))
+env.Program(project, sources)
diff --git a/src/core/application.cpp b/src/core/application.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aa8a68e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/application.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+#include "application.hpp"
+#include <SDL2/SDL_log.h>
+#include <SDL2/SDL_error.h>
+#include <SDL2/SDL_render.h>
+
+#ifndef PROJECTNAME
+#define PROJECTNAME "application"
+#endif
+
+Application::Application() {
+    if(SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_EVERYTHING) != 0) {
+        SDL_LogError(SDL_LOG_CATEGORY_ERROR, "Failed to initialize SDL, SDL error: %s", SDL_GetError());
+        return;
+    }
+    this->window = SDL_CreateWindow(PROJECTNAME, SDL_WINDOWPOS_CENTERED, SDL_WINDOWPOS_CENTERED, 1000, 800, SDL_WINDOW_FULLSCREEN);
+    if(this->window == nullptr) {
+        SDL_LogError(SDL_LOG_CATEGORY_ERROR, "Failed to create window, SDL error: %s", SDL_GetError());
+        SDL_Quit();
+        return;
+    }
+    this->render = SDL_CreateRenderer(this->window, -1, SDL_RENDERER_ACCELERATED | SDL_RENDERER_PRESENTVSYNC);
+    if(this->render == nullptr) {
+        SDL_LogError(SDL_LOG_CATEGORY_ERROR, "Failed to initialize renderer, SDL error: %s", SDL_GetError());
+        SDL_DestroyWindow(this->window);
+        SDL_Quit();
+        return;
+    }
+    this->stay_open = true;
+}
+
+Application::~Application() {
+    SDL_DestroyRenderer(this->render);
+    SDL_DestroyWindow(this->window);
+    SDL_Quit();
+}
+
+void Application::run() {
+    // start tracking time
+    std::timespec_get(&this->startup_ts, TIME_UTC);
+    this->frame_start_ts = this->last_frame_start_ts = this->startup_ts;
+    // main application loop
+    while(stay_open) {
+        // track frame time
+        std::timespec_get(&this->frame_start_ts, TIME_UTC);
+        this->delta_time = double(this->last_frame_start_ts.tv_nsec - this->frame_start_ts.tv_nsec) / 1000000000.f;
+        // process events
+        this->process_events();
+        // update application implementation
+        if(this->delta_time > this->target_delta_time) {
+            this->tick(this->delta_time);
+            this->draw(render);
+            this->last_frame_start_ts = this->frame_start_ts;
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+void Application::request_close() {
+    this->stay_open = false;
+}
+
+void Application::set_target_delta_time(double target) {
+    this->target_delta_time = target;
+}
+
+void Application::process_events() {
+    SDL_Event evt{};
+    while(SDL_PollEvent(&evt)) {
+        switch(evt.type) {
+        case SDL_QUIT:
+            this->request_close();
+            break;
+        default:break;
+        }
+        this->process_event(evt);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/core/application.hpp b/src/core/application.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..09497f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/application.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#ifndef CORE_APPLICATION_HPP
+#define CORE_APPLICATION_HPP
+
+#include <ctime>
+#include <SDL2/SDL.h>
+#include <SDL2/SDL_events.h>
+#include <SDL2/SDL_render.h>
+
+class Application {
+public: Application();
+    virtual ~Application();
+    void run();
+    virtual void process_event(SDL_Event const &event) = 0;
+    virtual void tick(double delta_time) = 0;
+    virtual void draw(SDL_Renderer *render) = 0;
+
+    void request_close();
+    void set_target_delta_time(double target);
+private:
+    void process_events();
+protected:
+    SDL_Window *window{nullptr}; //!< primary application window
+    SDL_Renderer *render{nullptr}; //!< primary application window's renderer
+private:
+    std::timespec startup_ts{}; //!< time in UTC at start of application (when run() was called)
+    std::timespec last_frame_start_ts{}; //!< time at start of last frame
+    std::timespec frame_start_ts{}; //!< time at start of this frame
+    double delta_time{0.f};
+    double target_delta_time{};
+    bool stay_open{false}; //!< application loop will continue so long as this is true
+};
+
+#endif // !CORE_APPLICATION_HPP
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index bd91c67..dc5b5a5 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -18,13 +18,12 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
     while(keep_open) {
         SDL_PollEvent(&event);
         switch(event.type) {
-            case SDL_QUIT:
-                keep_open = false;
-                break;
-            default:
-                break;
+        case SDL_QUIT:
+            keep_open = false;
+            break;
+        default:
+            break;
         }
-
         SDL_RenderClear(render);
         SDL_RenderPresent(render);
     }