diff --git a/vacation.p8 b/vacation.p8
index 9352745..0adbdcd 100644
--- a/vacation.p8
+++ b/vacation.p8
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@ end
 -- this works better with the
 -- `more` impls i use.
 function mknew(tt, more)
- local mt, oldnew = { __index = tt }, tt.new
- tt.new = function(ret)
+ local mt, oldnew={__index=tt},tt.new
+ tt.new=function(ret)
   if (not ret) ret = {}
   if (more) more(ret)
   if (oldnew) oldnew(ret)
@@ -65,6 +65,78 @@ function mknew(tt, more)
  end
 end
 
+-- intrusive singly-linked list.
+-- cannot be nested!
+linked_list = {is_linked_list=true}
+mknew(linked_list, function(x)
+  x.next=nil
+  x.tail=x
+ end)
+
+function linked_list:push_back(x)
+ self.tail.next = x
+ self.tail = x
+end
+
+function linked_list:push_front(x)
+ if (not self.next) self.tail = x
+ x.next = self.next
+ self.next = x
+end
+
+-- vore eats another linked list
+-- by appending its contents.
+-- the ingested linked is empty.
+function linked_list:vore(x)
+ if (not x.next) return
+ self.tail.next = x.next
+ self.tail = x.tail
+ x.next = nil
+ x.tail = x
+end
+
+-- strip calls f(x) for each
+-- node, removing each node for
+-- which f(x) returns true. it
+-- returns the new tail; nil
+-- if the list is now empty.
+function linked_list:strip(f)
+ local p, n = self, self.next
+ while n do
+  if f(n) then
+   p.next = n.next
+  else
+   p = n
+  end
+  n = n.next
+ end
+ self.tail = p
+ return p
+end
+
+-- optimized special case -
+-- could be done with strip but
+-- this avoids extra function
+-- calls and comparisions since
+-- draw isn't allowed to kill
+-- the item
+function linked_list:draw()
+ local n = self.next
+ while n do
+  n:draw()
+  n = n.next
+ end
+end
+
+
+function linked_list:pop_front()
+ local ret = self.next
+ if (not ret) return
+ self.next = ret.next
+ if (not ret.next) ret.tail = nil
+ return ret
+end
+
 -- if t[mname] is a thing,
 -- invoke it as a method. else,
 -- try each object in t
@@ -80,6 +152,51 @@ function outer_or_each_opt(t, mname)
  end)
 end
 
+-- puke emits a verbose string
+-- describing item, indented to
+-- the specified depth (0 by
+-- default). used for table
+-- debugging. table-type keys
+-- are not legible here
+function puke(item, indent, seen, hidekey)
+ if (type(item) ~= "table") return tostr(item)
+ 
+ seen = seen or {}
+ if (seen[item]) return "<<...>>"
+ seen[item] = true
+ 
+ indent = indent or 0
+ local pfx = "\n"
+ for _=1,indent do
+  pfx ..= " "
+ end
+ local xpfx = pfx.." "
+
+ if item.is_linked_list then
+  local ret,n = "linked_list <",0
+  item:strip(function(x)
+   n += 1
+   ret ..= xpfx..tostr(n)..": "..puke(x, indent+2, seen, "next")
+  end)
+  return ret..pfx..">"
+ end
+
+ local ret = "{"
+ for k, v in pairs(item) do
+  if (k ~= hidekey) ret ..= xpfx..tostr(k)..": "..puke(v, indent+2, seen)
+ end
+ return ret..pfx.."}"
+end
+
+-- convenience for debugging
+function puketh(item, ...)
+ printh(puke(item), ...)
+end
+
+function pukeboard(item)
+ puketh(item, "@clip")
+end
+
 -------------------------------
 -- view
 -------------------------------
@@ -285,7 +402,6 @@ function newtitle()
   {
    update=function()
     box.go = btn(4)
-    -- if (box:done()) mainview.views[2].c=2
    end
   },
   bg.new{c=1},
@@ -300,4 +416,64 @@ end
 -- awakener
 
 -->8
--- game mode
+-- arcade mode
+
+arcade_level = {
+ score=0,
+ maxscore=15,
+}
+mknew(arcade_level, function(x)
+ x.p = toyphin.new()
+ x.waves = waves.new()
+ x.words = linked_list.new()
+ x.fx = linked_list.new()
+end)
+
+
+-- dolphin sprite states:
+-- spr args
+-- draw pal
+-- hitbox size
+-- todo: figure out a practical
+-- way to pick a state, given
+-- x and dy. make sure it
+-- stabilizes appropriately
+-- around splash/surface
+-- even though the animation
+-- is supposed to bounce here
+phinstate_nrm = {}
+
+phinstate_jump_full = {}
+
+phinstate_jump_wane = {}
+
+phinstate_crest = {}
+
+phinstate_fall_wax = {}
+
+phinstate_fall_full = {}
+
+phinstate_splash = {}
+
+phinstate_dive_full = {}
+
+phinstate_dive_wane = {}
+
+phinstate_turn = {}
+
+phinstate_rise_wax = {}
+
+phinstate_rise_full = {}
+
+phinstate_surface = {}
+
+
+toyphin = {
+ x=3,
+ y=56,
+ state=phinstate_nrm,
+}
+mknew(toyphin)
+
+-->8
+-- game sequencer