diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 2b44666..b0764f3 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -24,13 +24,11 @@ add_subdirectory(extern/SDL_image EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
 add_subdirectory(extern/SDL_mixer EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
 add_subdirectory(extern/SDL_ttf EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
 add_subdirectory(extern/tmxlite/tmxlite EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
-include_directories(extern/nlohmann_json/include)
+add_subdirectory(extern/nlohmann_json EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
 
 
 file(GLOB_RECURSE SOURCES ${ENGINE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/*.cpp)
-add_library(${PROJECT_NAME} ${SOURCES}
-        include/ConfigLoader.h
-        src/ConfigLoader.cpp)
+add_library(${PROJECT_NAME} ${SOURCES})
 
 target_include_directories(${PROJECT_NAME} PUBLIC ${ENGINE_INCLUDE_DIR})
 
@@ -39,6 +37,7 @@ target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME} PUBLIC # should be private when all SDL fu
     SDL3_image::SDL3_image-static
     SDL3_mixer::SDL3_mixer-static
     SDL3_ttf::SDL3_ttf-static
+    nlohmann_json::nlohmann_json
     tmxlite
 )
 
diff --git a/config.json b/config.json
index 0e0eb80..e4ee3bf 100644
--- a/config.json
+++ b/config.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "fullscreen": false,
   "title": "VGG (Very Good Game)",
-  "height": 100,
-  "width": 100,
+  "screen_height": 100,
+  "screen_width": 100,
   "icon": "./engine/internalAssets/iconImage.bmp"
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/include/ConfigLoader.h b/include/ConfigLoader.h
index 8ba9c55..d92977e 100644
--- a/include/ConfigLoader.h
+++ b/include/ConfigLoader.h
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ public:
     json getFinalConfig();
 
 private:
-    json baseConfig;
-    std::optional<json> customConfig;
+
+    std::optional<std::string> customConfigPath;
     json finalConfig;
 
     json loadConfigFromJSON(const std::string& path);
diff --git a/include/Game.h b/include/Game.h
index 75f6713..84e3b8e 100644
--- a/include/Game.h
+++ b/include/Game.h
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ public:
 
     virtual void init() = 0;
     virtual void update(uint_fast16_t diffTime) = 0;
-    virtual std::optional<std::string> getConfigFilePath() {return std::nullopt;}
+    virtual std::optional<std::string> setConfigFilePath() {return std::nullopt;}
 
     GameInternal* gameInternal; //!< \deprecated  
 };
diff --git a/src/AssetManager.cpp b/src/AssetManager.cpp
index 553617a..75e78ec 100644
--- a/src/AssetManager.cpp
+++ b/src/AssetManager.cpp
@@ -77,8 +77,8 @@ Vector2D AssetManager::calculateSpawnPosition()
 	{
 		SDL_Rect spawnRect;
 		spawnRect.h = spawnRect.w = 32;
-		spawnRect.x = rand() % (VEGO_Game().config->getFinalConfig().at("width").get<int>() - spawnRect.w);
-		spawnRect.y = rand() % (VEGO_Game().config->getFinalConfig().at("height").get<int>() - spawnRect.h);
+		spawnRect.x = rand() % (VEGO_Game().config->getFinalConfig().at("screen_width").get<int>() - spawnRect.w);
+		spawnRect.y = rand() % (VEGO_Game().config->getFinalConfig().at("screen_height").get<int>() - spawnRect.h);
 		conflict = false;
 		for (auto cc : this->man->getGame()->collisionHandler->getColliders({ Entity::GroupLabel::MAPTILES }))
 		{
diff --git a/src/CollisionHandler.cpp b/src/CollisionHandler.cpp
index 0177728..d153d0c 100644
--- a/src/CollisionHandler.cpp
+++ b/src/CollisionHandler.cpp
@@ -67,20 +67,20 @@ IntersectionBitSet CollisionHandler::getIntersectionWithBounds(Entity* entity, V
 
 	// all 4 directions and both sides to allow checking for fully out of bounds
 	if (collider->x + posMod.x < 0 ||
-		collider->x + posMod.x > VEGO_Game().config->getFinalConfig().at("width")) {
+		collider->x + posMod.x > VEGO_Game().config->getFinalConfig().at("screen_width")) {
 		intersections.set((size_t) Direction::LEFT);
 	}
 
 	if (collider->x + collider->w + posMod.x < 0 ||
-		collider->x + collider->w + posMod.x > VEGO_Game().config->getFinalConfig().at("width"))
+		collider->x + collider->w + posMod.x > VEGO_Game().config->getFinalConfig().at("screen_width"))
 		intersections.set((size_t) Direction::RIGHT);
 
 	if (collider->y + posMod.y < 0 ||
-		collider->y + posMod.y > VEGO_Game().config->getFinalConfig().at("height"))
+		collider->y + posMod.y > VEGO_Game().config->getFinalConfig().at("screen_height"))
 		intersections.set((size_t) Direction::UP);
 
 	if (collider->y + collider->h + posMod.y < 0 ||
-		collider->y + collider->h + posMod.y > VEGO_Game().config->getFinalConfig().at("height"))
+		collider->y + collider->h + posMod.y > VEGO_Game().config->getFinalConfig().at("screen_height"))
 		intersections.set((size_t) Direction::DOWN);
 
 	return intersections;
diff --git a/src/ConfigLoader.cpp b/src/ConfigLoader.cpp
index 65381f5..7b244e4 100644
--- a/src/ConfigLoader.cpp
+++ b/src/ConfigLoader.cpp
@@ -2,20 +2,21 @@
 
 #include <fstream>
 
-ConfigLoader::ConfigLoader() {
-    //TODO: look into adaptive paths for better handling as this requires the implemented game
-    // to have ./engine in the root folder
-    baseConfig = loadConfigFromJSON("./engine/config.json");
-}
+ConfigLoader::ConfigLoader() {}
 
 ConfigLoader::~ConfigLoader() {}
 
 void ConfigLoader::init() {
-    if (!customConfig.has_value()) {
+    //TODO: look into adaptive paths for better handling as this requires the implemented game
+    // to have ./engine in the root folder
+    const json baseConfig = loadConfigFromJSON("./engine/config.json");
+
+    if (!customConfigPath.has_value()) {
         finalConfig = baseConfig;
         return;
     }
-    finalConfig = mergeConfigs(baseConfig, customConfig.value());
+
+    finalConfig = mergeConfigs(baseConfig, loadConfigFromJSON(customConfigPath.value()));
 }
 
 json ConfigLoader::loadConfigFromJSON(const std::string& path) {
@@ -32,9 +33,7 @@ json ConfigLoader::loadConfigFromJSON(const std::string& path) {
 
 
 void ConfigLoader::setCustomConfig(const std::optional<std::string>& path) {
-    if (path.has_value()) {
-        customConfig = loadConfigFromJSON(path.value());
-    }
+        customConfigPath = path;
 }
 
 json ConfigLoader::mergeConfigs(json baseConfig, json customConfig) {
diff --git a/src/GameInternal.cpp b/src/GameInternal.cpp
index 3c55148..77becb6 100644
--- a/src/GameInternal.cpp
+++ b/src/GameInternal.cpp
@@ -31,10 +31,10 @@ GameInternal::~GameInternal() = default;
 
 SDL_AppResult GameInternal::init()
 {
-	config = new ConfigLoader;
+	config = new ConfigLoader();
 
 	this->gameInstance = GameFactory::instance().create(this);
-	config->setCustomConfig(this->gameInstance->getConfigFilePath());
+	config->setCustomConfig(this->gameInstance->setConfigFilePath());
 	config->init();
 
 	json finalConfig = config->getFinalConfig();
@@ -62,7 +62,9 @@ SDL_AppResult GameInternal::init()
 		return SDL_APP_FAILURE;
 	}
 
-	window = SDL_CreateWindow(finalConfig.at("title").get<std::string>().c_str(), finalConfig.at("width"), finalConfig.at("height"), flags);
+	window = SDL_CreateWindow(finalConfig.at("title").get<std::string>().c_str(),
+		finalConfig.at("screen_width"), finalConfig.at("screen_height"), flags);
+
 	if (!window)
 	{
 		std::cout << "ERROR: Window couldnt be created! " << SDL_GetError() << std::endl;