diff --git a/src/debugging.rs b/src/debugging.rs
index 5833dbc..3147859 100644
--- a/src/debugging.rs
+++ b/src/debugging.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ use bevy_inspector_egui::{
     quick::{StateInspectorPlugin, WorldInspectorPlugin},
 };
 
-use crate::AppState;
+use crate::{AppState, menus};
 
 pub fn plugin(app: &mut App) {
     app.add_plugins(EguiPlugin {
@@ -14,5 +14,6 @@ pub fn plugin(app: &mut App) {
     .add_plugins((
         WorldInspectorPlugin::new(),
         StateInspectorPlugin::<AppState>::new(),
+        StateInspectorPlugin::<menus::CurrentMenu>::new(),
     ));
 }
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 86746fb..4a02e9a 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ mod menus;
 #[derive(States, Default, Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Hash, Reflect)]
 #[allow(unused)]
 enum AppState {
-    Menus,
     #[default]
+    Menus,
     Ingame,
     PostGame,
 }
@@ -21,8 +21,10 @@ fn main() {
         .add_plugins(DefaultPlugins)
         .add_systems(Startup, camera::setup)
         .add_plugins(game::plugin)
+        .add_plugins(menus::plugin)
         .init_state::<AppState>()
-        .register_type::<AppState>()
         .add_plugins(debugging::plugin)
+        .register_type::<AppState>()
+        // .insert_state(AppState::Ingame)
         .run();
 }
diff --git a/src/menus.rs b/src/menus.rs
index d7dd07a..79c0185 100644
--- a/src/menus.rs
+++ b/src/menus.rs
@@ -1,18 +1,21 @@
 use bevy::{input::ButtonState, prelude::*};
 use lib::{ItemPosition, Menu, MenuItemType, Menus, OnPressAction};
 
+use crate::AppState;
+
 mod lib;
 
-#[derive(States, Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Hash)]
-enum CurrentMenu {
+#[derive(States, Debug, Copy, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Hash, Default, Reflect)]
+pub enum CurrentMenu {
     NotInMenus,
+    #[default]
     MainMenu,
     Settings,
     HighScores,
     StartGame,
 }
-pub fn todo_meow() {
-    let plugin = Menus::<CurrentMenu>::new()
+pub fn plugin(app: &mut App) {
+    let plugin = Menus::<AppState, CurrentMenu>::new(AppState::Menus)
         .add_menu(
             CurrentMenu::MainMenu,
             Menu::new().add_items(&[
@@ -31,7 +34,7 @@ pub fn todo_meow() {
             CurrentMenu::Settings,
             Menu::new()
                 .add_items(&[
-                    &MenuItemType::Text(String::from("Hello, World!")),
+                    &MenuItemType::Text(String::from("Settings")),
                     &(
                         MenuItemType::Button(String::from("Sample setting")),
                         OnPressAction::SampleAction,
@@ -46,5 +49,6 @@ pub fn todo_meow() {
                 ),
         );
 
-    dbg!(plugin);
+    dbg!(&plugin);
+    app.add_plugins(plugin);
 }
diff --git a/src/menus/lib.rs b/src/menus/lib.rs
index 5319c31..61da438 100644
--- a/src/menus/lib.rs
+++ b/src/menus/lib.rs
@@ -6,30 +6,39 @@ 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>>,
-}
+mod item;
 
 pub use item::types::*;
 pub use item::*;
 
-mod item;
+type ToDo = ();
 
-impl<NavState: States> Menus<NavState> {
-    pub fn new() -> Self {
+#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
+pub struct Menus<TriggerState: States, NavState: States> {
+    start: NavState,
+    /// The state needed to trigger this set of menus
+    trigger: TriggerState,
+    menus: HashMap<NavState, Menu<NavState>>,
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
+pub struct Menu<ParentNavState: States> {
+    menu_items: Vec<MenuItemInternal<ParentNavState>>,
+}
+
+pub mod plugin;
+
+impl<TriggerState: States, NavState: States + Default> Menus<TriggerState, NavState> {
+    pub fn new(trigger: TriggerState) -> Self {
         Self {
+            trigger,
+            start: NavState::default(),
             menus: HashMap::new(),
         }
     }
+}
 
+impl<T: States, NavState: States> Menus<T, NavState> {
     pub fn add_menu(mut self, state: NavState, menu: Menu<NavState>) -> Self {
         self.menus.insert(state, menu);
         self
diff --git a/src/menus/lib/item.rs b/src/menus/lib/item.rs
index f7f1547..af374b5 100644
--- a/src/menus/lib/item.rs
+++ b/src/menus/lib/item.rs
@@ -3,11 +3,11 @@ use types::{ItemPosition, MenuItemType, OnPressAction};
 
 pub mod types;
 
-#[derive(Debug)]
+#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
 pub(super) struct MenuItemInternal<NavState: States> {
-    r#type: MenuItemType,
-    pos: ItemPosition,
-    action: Option<OnPressAction<NavState>>,
+    pub(super) r#type: MenuItemType,
+    pub(super) pos: ItemPosition,
+    pub(super) action: Option<OnPressAction<NavState>>,
 }
 
 pub(super) trait IntoMenuItemInternal<NavState: States> {
diff --git a/src/menus/lib/item/types.rs b/src/menus/lib/item/types.rs
index c72db23..87e4995 100644
--- a/src/menus/lib/item/types.rs
+++ b/src/menus/lib/item/types.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ use bevy::state::state::States;
 use crate::menus::lib::ToDo;
 
 /// positions the item in the menu
-#[derive(Default, Debug)]
+#[derive(Default, Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub enum ItemPosition {
     #[default]
     MainView,
@@ -22,12 +22,12 @@ pub enum ItemPosition {
 pub enum MenuItemType {
     Text(String),
     Button(String),
-    Subsection(Vec<MenuItemType>),
+    // Subsection(Vec<MenuItemType>),
 }
 
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
 pub enum OnPressAction<NavState: States> {
     NavigateTo(NavState),
-    RunSystem(ToDo),
+    DispatchEvent(ToDo),
     SampleAction,
 }
diff --git a/src/menus/lib/plugin.rs b/src/menus/lib/plugin.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..087efb8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/menus/lib/plugin.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,170 @@
+use std::marker::PhantomData;
+
+use bevy::{
+    ecs::spawn::SpawnIter, platform::collections::HashMap, prelude::*,
+    state::state::FreelyMutableState,
+};
+
+use super::{ItemPosition, Menu, MenuItemInternal, MenuItemType, Menus, OnPressAction};
+
+impl<TriggerState: States, NavState: States + FreelyMutableState + Copy> Plugin
+    for Menus<TriggerState, NavState>
+{
+    fn build(&self, app: &mut App) {
+        app.insert_state(self.start)
+            .insert_resource(self.get_store())
+            .add_observer(build_ui::<NavState>)
+            // .add_observer(destroy_ui::<NavStates>)
+            .add_systems(
+                Update,
+                (
+                    update_ui_trigger::<NavState>,
+                    handle_press_actions::<NavState>.run_if(in_state(self.trigger.clone())),
+                ),
+            );
+    }
+}
+
+#[derive(Event)]
+struct DestroyUi<S: States>(S);
+#[derive(Event)]
+struct BuildUi<S: States>(S);
+
+#[derive(Component)]
+struct UiParent<S: States>(PhantomData<S>);
+#[derive(Component)]
+struct UiComponent;
+
+#[derive(Component)]
+struct Action<S: States>(OnPressAction<S>);
+
+impl<T: States, S: States> Menus<T, S> {
+    fn get_store(&self) -> MenusStore<S> {
+        MenusStore(self.menus.clone())
+    }
+}
+
+#[derive(Resource)]
+struct MenusStore<S: States>(HashMap<S, Menu<S>>);
+
+fn build_ui<S: States>(
+    trigger: Trigger<BuildUi<S>>,
+    ui_parent: Query<Entity, With<UiParent<S>>>,
+    mut c: Commands,
+    menus_data: Res<MenusStore<S>>,
+) {
+    let e = trigger.event();
+    let Some(menu_structure) = menus_data.0.get(&e.0) else {
+        return;
+    };
+
+    let items = menu_structure
+        .menu_items
+        .clone()
+        .into_iter()
+        // TODO: implement other item positions
+        .filter(|it| it.pos == ItemPosition::MainView);
+
+    if let Ok(parent) = ui_parent.single_inner() {
+        c.entity(parent).despawn();
+    }
+
+    c.spawn((
+        UiParent(PhantomData::<S>),
+        Node {
+            width: Val::Percent(100.0),
+            height: Val::Percent(100.0),
+            align_items: AlignItems::Center,
+            justify_content: JustifyContent::Center,
+            flex_direction: FlexDirection::Column,
+            ..default()
+        },
+    ))
+    .with_children(|parent| {
+        for MenuItemInternal { r#type, action, .. } in items {
+            let mut e = match r#type {
+                MenuItemType::Text(s) => parent.spawn(components::text(s)),
+                MenuItemType::Button(s) => parent.spawn(components::button(s)),
+            };
+            e.insert(UiComponent);
+
+            if let Some(action) = action {
+                e.insert(Action(action));
+            }
+        }
+    });
+}
+
+fn handle_press_actions<S: States + FreelyMutableState>(
+    mut interaction_query: Query<(&Interaction, &Action<S>), Changed<Interaction>>,
+    mut nav_state: ResMut<NextState<S>>,
+) {
+    for (interaction, Action(action)) in interaction_query {
+        if *interaction != Interaction::Pressed {
+            continue;
+        }
+        match action {
+            OnPressAction::NavigateTo(to) => nav_state.set(to.clone()),
+            _ => todo!(),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+mod components {
+    use bevy::prelude::*;
+
+    use crate::menus::lib::OnPressAction;
+
+    use super::Action;
+
+    pub fn text(t: String) -> impl Bundle {
+        (
+            Text::new(t),
+            TextFont {
+                // font: asset_server.load("fonts/FiraSans-Bold.ttf"),
+                font_size: 33.0,
+                ..default()
+            },
+            TextColor(Color::srgb(0.9, 0.9, 0.9)),
+            TextShadow::default(),
+        )
+    }
+
+    pub fn button(t: String) -> impl Bundle {
+        (
+            Button,
+            Node {
+                border: UiRect::all(Val::Px(5.0)),
+                // horizontally center child text
+                justify_content: JustifyContent::Center,
+                // vertically center child text
+                align_items: AlignItems::Center,
+                padding: UiRect::all(Val::Px(10.0)),
+                ..default()
+            },
+            BorderColor(Color::BLACK),
+            BorderRadius::MAX,
+            BackgroundColor(Color::srgb(0.2, 0.2, 0.2)),
+            children![text(t)],
+        )
+    }
+}
+
+fn update_ui_trigger<S: States>(
+    mut c: Commands,
+    mut trans_reader: EventReader<StateTransitionEvent<S>>,
+    menus_data: Res<MenusStore<S>>,
+) {
+    for trans in trans_reader.read() {
+        info!("{trans:?}");
+
+        // if let Some(to_delete) = trans.exited {}
+        if let Some(to_build) = trans.entered.clone() {
+            c.trigger(BuildUi(to_build));
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+// fn build_ui<S: States>(mut c: Commands) {
+
+// }