diff --git a/.nvim.lua b/.nvim.lua
index b563699..23ec855 100644
--- a/.nvim.lua
+++ b/.nvim.lua
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-vim.opt_global.makeprg = "./build_hot_reload.sh"
+vim.opt_global.makeprg = "./build.sh"
 vim.opt.errorformat = "%f(%l:%c)\\ %m"
diff --git a/builder/builder.odin b/builder/builder.odin
index d139c29..6f097e5 100644
--- a/builder/builder.odin
+++ b/builder/builder.odin
@@ -199,20 +199,24 @@ setup_emsdk_env :: proc() {
 	set_env("EMSDK", absolute_path("./libs/emsdk"))
 }
 
-setup_bin_dir :: proc(path: string, files_to_copy: []string) {
+setup_bin_dir :: proc(opts: Options, path: string, files_to_copy: []string) {
 	mkdir_all(path)
 
 	for file in files_to_copy {
-		copy_file(file, temp_path_join(path, filepath.base(file)))
+		dst := temp_path_join(path, filepath.base(file))
+
+		if !os.is_file(dst) || opts.force {
+			copy_file(file, dst)
+		}
 	}
 }
 
 main :: proc() {
 	context.logger = log.create_console_logger()
 	opts := Options {
-		tracy = true,
-		debug = true,
-		run   = true,
+		tracy    = true,
+		debug    = true,
+		optimize = true,
 	}
 	flags.parse_or_exit(&opts, os.args, .Unix, context.temp_allocator)
 	if opts.variant == .Web {
@@ -230,10 +234,10 @@ main :: proc() {
 
 	switch opts.variant {
 	case .Hot_Reload:
-		setup_bin_dir("./build/hotreload", shared_dep_paths)
+		setup_bin_dir(opts, "./build/hotreload", shared_dep_paths)
 
-		is_main_built := os.is_file("./build/hotreload/game.bin")
-		if !is_main_built || opts.force {
+		is_running := process_exists("game.bin")
+		if !is_running {
 			run_cmd(
 				temp_concat(
 					[]string {
@@ -244,72 +248,32 @@ main :: proc() {
 					},
 					debug_flag,
 					tracy_flag,
-					optimize_flag,
 					COMMON_FLAGS,
 				),
 				"",
 			)
 		}
-		build_game_cmd := temp_concat(
-			[]string {
-				"odin",
-				"build",
-				"game",
-				"-define:RAYLIB_SHARED=true",
-				"-define:PHYSFS_SHARED=true",
-				"-build-mode:dll",
-				"-out:./build/hotreload/game_tmp.so",
-			},
-			tracy_flag,
-			debug_flag,
-			optimize_flag,
-			COMMON_FLAGS,
+		build_game_cmd := run_cmd(
+			temp_concat(
+				[]string {
+					"odin",
+					"build",
+					"game",
+					"-define:RAYLIB_SHARED=true",
+					"-define:PHYSFS_SHARED=true",
+					"-build-mode:dll",
+					"-out:./build/hotreload/game_tmp.so",
+				},
+				tracy_flag,
+				debug_flag,
+				optimize_flag,
+				COMMON_FLAGS,
+			),
+			"",
 		)
-		build_game_lib :: proc(build_cmd: []string) {
-			run_cmd(build_cmd, "")
-			rename("./build/hotreload/game_tmp.so", "./build/hotreload/game.so")
-		}
-		build_game_lib(build_game_cmd)
-
-		if opts.run && !process_exists("game.bin") {
-			Watcher_Context :: struct {
-				run:            bool,
-				build_game_cmd: []string,
-			}
-			watcher_ctx := Watcher_Context {
-				run            = true,
-				build_game_cmd = build_game_cmd,
-			}
-			thread_ctx := context
-			thread_ctx.user_ptr = &watcher_ctx
-			thrd := thread.create_and_start(proc() {
-					watcher_ctx := (cast(^Watcher_Context)context.user_ptr)
-					input := os.to_reader(os.stdin)
-
-					buf: [1024]u8
-					for {
-						n, err := io.read(input, buf[:])
-
-						for cmd in buf[0:n] {
-							switch cmd {
-							case 'r', 'R':
-								build_game_lib(watcher_ctx.build_game_cmd)
-							case:
-							}
-						}
-
-						if err == .EOF {
-							break
-						}
-
-						handle_error(err)
-					}
-				}, thread_ctx)
-
-			run_cmd({"./build/hotreload/game.bin"}, "")
-		}
+		rename("./build/hotreload/game_tmp.so", "./build/hotreload/game.so")
 	case .Desktop:
-		setup_bin_dir("./build/desktop", shared_dep_paths)
+		setup_bin_dir(opts, "./build/desktop", shared_dep_paths)
 
 		cmd := slice.concatenate(
 			[][]string {
diff --git a/builder/helpers.odin b/builder/helpers.odin
index b387d08..e07e405 100644
--- a/builder/helpers.odin
+++ b/builder/helpers.odin
@@ -20,9 +20,11 @@ Run_Error :: union #shared_nil {
 	os.Error,
 }
 
+@(private = "file")
 run_cmd_internal :: proc(
 	cmd: []string,
 	cwd: string,
+	capture: bool,
 	loc := #caller_location,
 ) -> (
 	result: string,
@@ -70,7 +72,9 @@ run_cmd_internal :: proc(
 		buf: [1024]u8
 		if has_data {
 			n = handle_error1(os.read(r, buf[:]))
-			strings.write_bytes(&b, buf[0:n])
+			if capture {
+				strings.write_bytes(&b, buf[0:n])
+			}
 			handle_error1(os.write(os.stderr, buf[0:n]))
 		}
 
@@ -106,10 +110,11 @@ run_cmd_internal :: proc(
 run_cmd :: proc(
 	cmd: []string,
 	cwd: string,
+	capture := true,
 	expr := #caller_expression,
 	loc := #caller_location,
 ) -> string {
-	result, err := run_cmd_internal(cmd, cwd, loc)
+	result, err := run_cmd_internal(cmd, cwd, capture, loc)
 	handle_error(err, "", expr, loc)
 	return result
 }
diff --git a/game/assets/assets.odin b/game/assets/assets.odin
index 65913d7..2bbf201 100644
--- a/game/assets/assets.odin
+++ b/game/assets/assets.odin
@@ -577,8 +577,6 @@ get_convex :: proc(assetman: ^Asset_Manager, path: cstring) -> (result: Loaded_C
 		}
 	}
 
-	log.debugf("num verts: %v", len(vertices))
-
 	center := (max_pos + min_pos) * 0.5
 	extent := (max_pos - min_pos) * 0.5
 
diff --git a/game/game.odin b/game/game.odin
index 9e4ef6a..23a8d3b 100644
--- a/game/game.odin
+++ b/game/game.odin
@@ -1302,6 +1302,7 @@ game_init :: proc() {
 	g_mem.ui_context.default_style.font_size = 20
 	g_mem.ui_context.text_size = ui.rl_measure_text_2d
 
+	log.debugf("game_init")
 	game_hot_reloaded(g_mem)
 }
 
@@ -1340,6 +1341,7 @@ game_hot_reloaded :: proc(mem: rawptr) {
 	ui.rl_init()
 
 	g_mem.runtime_world.orbit_camera.distance = 4
+	log.debugf("hot reloaded")
 }
 
 @(export)
diff --git a/main_hot_reload/main_hot_reload.odin b/main_hot_reload/main_hot_reload.odin
index 4d8350c..5f77b4d 100644
--- a/main_hot_reload/main_hot_reload.odin
+++ b/main_hot_reload/main_hot_reload.odin
@@ -52,8 +52,14 @@ Game_API :: struct {
 	api_version:       int,
 }
 
-load_game_api :: proc(api_version: int) -> (api: Game_API, ok: bool) {
-	mod_time, mod_time_error := os.last_write_time_by_name("game" + DLL_EXT)
+load_game_api :: proc(bin_dir: string, api_version: int) -> (api: Game_API, ok: bool) {
+	// NOTE: this needs to be a relative path for Linux to work.
+	game_dll_name := fmt.tprintf("game_{0}" + DLL_EXT, api_version)
+	game_dll_path := filepath.join({bin_dir, game_dll_name}, context.temp_allocator)
+
+	mod_time, mod_time_error := os.last_write_time_by_name(
+		filepath.join({bin_dir, "game" + DLL_EXT}, context.temp_allocator),
+	)
 	if mod_time_error != os.ERROR_NONE {
 		fmt.printfln(
 			"Failed getting last write time of game" + DLL_EXT + ", error code: {1}",
@@ -62,14 +68,9 @@ load_game_api :: proc(api_version: int) -> (api: Game_API, ok: bool) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	// NOTE: this needs to be a relative path for Linux to work.
-	game_dll_name := fmt.tprintf("game_{0}" + DLL_EXT, api_version)
-	bin_dir := filepath.dir(os.args[0], context.temp_allocator)
 
 	copy_dll(bin_dir, game_dll_name) or_return
 
-	game_dll_path := filepath.join({bin_dir, game_dll_name}, context.temp_allocator)
-
 	// This proc matches the names of the fields in Game_API to symbols in the
 	// game DLL. It actually looks for symbols starting with `game_`, which is
 	// why the argument `"game_"` is there.
@@ -85,15 +86,13 @@ load_game_api :: proc(api_version: int) -> (api: Game_API, ok: bool) {
 	return
 }
 
-unload_game_api :: proc(api: ^Game_API) {
+unload_game_api :: proc(bin_dir: string, api: ^Game_API) {
 	if api.lib != nil {
 		if !dynlib.unload_library(api.lib) {
 			fmt.printfln("Failed unloading lib: {0}", dynlib.last_error())
 		}
 	}
 
-	bin_dir := filepath.dir(os.args[0], context.temp_allocator)
-
 	game_dll_path := filepath.join(
 		{bin_dir, fmt.tprintf("game_{0}" + DLL_EXT, api.api_version)},
 		context.temp_allocator,
@@ -137,7 +136,7 @@ main :: proc() {
 	}
 
 	game_api_version := 0
-	game_api, game_api_ok := load_game_api(game_api_version)
+	game_api, game_api_ok := load_game_api(bin_dir, game_api_version)
 
 	if !game_api_ok {
 		fmt.println("Failed to load Game API")
@@ -165,7 +164,7 @@ main :: proc() {
 		}
 
 		if reload {
-			new_game_api, new_game_api_ok := load_game_api(game_api_version)
+			new_game_api, new_game_api_ok := load_game_api(bin_dir, game_api_version)
 
 			if new_game_api_ok {
 				force_restart =
@@ -194,11 +193,11 @@ main :: proc() {
 					reset_tracking_allocator(&tracking_allocator)
 
 					for &g in old_game_apis {
-						unload_game_api(&g)
+						unload_game_api(bin_dir, &g)
 					}
 
 					clear(&old_game_apis)
-					unload_game_api(&game_api)
+					unload_game_api(bin_dir, &game_api)
 					game_api = new_game_api
 					game_api.init()
 				}
@@ -232,13 +231,13 @@ main :: proc() {
 	}
 
 	for &g in old_game_apis {
-		unload_game_api(&g)
+		unload_game_api(bin_dir, &g)
 	}
 
 	delete(old_game_apis)
 
 	game_api.shutdown_window()
-	unload_game_api(&game_api)
+	unload_game_api(bin_dir, &game_api)
 	mem.tracking_allocator_destroy(&tracking_allocator)
 }