diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 7d919c7..86746fb 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
+#![feature(iter_collect_into)]
 use bevy::prelude::*;
 
 mod camera;
 mod cleanup;
 mod debugging;
 mod game;
+mod menus;
 
 #[derive(States, Default, Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Hash, Reflect)]
 #[allow(unused)]
diff --git a/src/menus.rs b/src/menus.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d7dd07a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/menus.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+use bevy::{input::ButtonState, prelude::*};
+use lib::{ItemPosition, Menu, MenuItemType, Menus, OnPressAction};
+
+mod lib;
+
+#[derive(States, Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Hash)]
+enum CurrentMenu {
+    NotInMenus,
+    MainMenu,
+    Settings,
+    HighScores,
+    StartGame,
+}
+pub fn todo_meow() {
+    let plugin = Menus::<CurrentMenu>::new()
+        .add_menu(
+            CurrentMenu::MainMenu,
+            Menu::new().add_items(&[
+                &MenuItemType::Text(String::from("Hello, World!")),
+                &(
+                    MenuItemType::Button(String::from("Start Game")),
+                    OnPressAction::SampleAction,
+                ),
+                &(
+                    MenuItemType::Button(String::from("Settings")),
+                    OnPressAction::NavigateTo(CurrentMenu::Settings),
+                ),
+            ]),
+        )
+        .add_menu(
+            CurrentMenu::Settings,
+            Menu::new()
+                .add_items(&[
+                    &MenuItemType::Text(String::from("Hello, World!")),
+                    &(
+                        MenuItemType::Button(String::from("Sample setting")),
+                        OnPressAction::SampleAction,
+                    ),
+                ])
+                .add_items_positioned(
+                    ItemPosition::SouthEast,
+                    &[&(
+                        MenuItemType::Button(String::from("Back")),
+                        OnPressAction::NavigateTo(CurrentMenu::MainMenu),
+                    )],
+                ),
+        );
+
+    dbg!(plugin);
+}
diff --git a/src/menus/lib.rs b/src/menus/lib.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5319c31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/menus/lib.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+#![allow(unused, reason = "Temporary.")]
+//! goal is a custom ui/menu library that allows simple and declarative menus.
+//! bevy ui is annoying.
+
+use std::marker::PhantomData;
+
+use bevy::{platform::collections::HashMap, prelude::*};
+
+type ToDo = ();
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct Menus<NavState: States> {
+    menus: HashMap<NavState, Menu<NavState>>,
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct Menu<ParentNavState: States> {
+    menu_items: Vec<MenuItemInternal<ParentNavState>>,
+}
+
+pub use item::types::*;
+pub use item::*;
+
+mod item;
+
+impl<NavState: States> Menus<NavState> {
+    pub fn new() -> Self {
+        Self {
+            menus: HashMap::new(),
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn add_menu(mut self, state: NavState, menu: Menu<NavState>) -> Self {
+        self.menus.insert(state, menu);
+        self
+    }
+}
+
+impl<ParentNavState: States> Menu<ParentNavState> {
+    pub fn new() -> Self {
+        Self {
+            menu_items: Vec::new(),
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Adds `items` in the default `ItemPosition::MainView`.
+    pub fn add_items(mut self, items: &[&dyn MenuItem<ParentNavState>]) -> Self {
+        self.add_items_positioned(ItemPosition::MainView, items)
+    }
+
+    pub fn add_items_positioned(
+        mut self,
+        position: ItemPosition,
+        items: &[&dyn MenuItem<ParentNavState>],
+    ) -> Self {
+        items
+            .iter()
+            .map(|it| (*it).item())
+            .collect_into(&mut self.menu_items);
+        self
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/menus/lib/item.rs b/src/menus/lib/item.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f7f1547
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/menus/lib/item.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+use bevy::state::state::States;
+use types::{ItemPosition, MenuItemType, OnPressAction};
+
+pub mod types;
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub(super) struct MenuItemInternal<NavState: States> {
+    r#type: MenuItemType,
+    pos: ItemPosition,
+    action: Option<OnPressAction<NavState>>,
+}
+
+pub(super) trait IntoMenuItemInternal<NavState: States> {
+    fn item(&self) -> MenuItemInternal<NavState>;
+}
+
+impl<S: States, T: ?Sized + MenuItem<S>> IntoMenuItemInternal<S> for T {
+    fn item(&self) -> MenuItemInternal<S> {
+        MenuItemInternal {
+            r#type: self.item_type(),
+            pos: self.pos(),
+            action: self.action(),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+pub trait MenuItem<NavState: States> {
+    fn item_type(&self) -> MenuItemType;
+    fn pos(&self) -> ItemPosition;
+    fn action(&self) -> Option<OnPressAction<NavState>>;
+}
+
+impl<NavState: States> MenuItem<NavState> for MenuItemType {
+    fn item_type(&self) -> MenuItemType {
+        self.clone()
+    }
+
+    fn pos(&self) -> ItemPosition {
+        ItemPosition::default()
+    }
+
+    fn action(&self) -> Option<OnPressAction<NavState>> {
+        None
+    }
+}
+
+impl<NavState: States> MenuItem<NavState> for (MenuItemType, OnPressAction<NavState>) {
+    fn item_type(&self) -> MenuItemType {
+        self.0.clone()
+    }
+
+    fn pos(&self) -> ItemPosition {
+        ItemPosition::default()
+    }
+
+    fn action(&self) -> Option<OnPressAction<NavState>> {
+        Some(self.1.clone())
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/menus/lib/item/types.rs b/src/menus/lib/item/types.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c72db23
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/menus/lib/item/types.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+use bevy::state::state::States;
+
+use crate::menus::lib::ToDo;
+
+/// positions the item in the menu
+#[derive(Default, Debug)]
+pub enum ItemPosition {
+    #[default]
+    MainView,
+    North,
+    NorthWest,
+    West,
+    SouthWest,
+    South,
+    SouthEast,
+    East,
+    NorthEast,
+}
+
+// TODO: replace strings with custom "content"?
+#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
+pub enum MenuItemType {
+    Text(String),
+    Button(String),
+    Subsection(Vec<MenuItemType>),
+}
+
+#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
+pub enum OnPressAction<NavState: States> {
+    NavigateTo(NavState),
+    RunSystem(ToDo),
+    SampleAction,
+}