diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 12bf2eb..99b90ba 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ startGame(void)
 	gGameState = PLAYING;
 	if (gPlayer)
 		player_destroy(gPlayer);
-	gPlayer = player_create(WARRIOR, gCamera);
+	gPlayer = player_create(playerClass, gCamera);
 	mixer_play_music(GAME_MUSIC0 + get_random(2));
 	resetGame();
 	skillbar_reset(gSkillBar);
@@ -575,7 +575,8 @@ handle_main_input(void)
 
 	if (gGameState == CREDITS && input_key_is_pressed(&input, KEY_ESC))
 		gGameState = MENU;
-	else if (gGameState == SCORE_SCREEN && input_key_is_pressed(&input, KEY_ESC))
+	else if ((gGameState == SCORE_SCREEN || gGameState == CHARACTER_MENU)
+		 && input_key_is_pressed(&input, KEY_ESC))
 		gGameState = MENU;
 	else if (gGameState == MENU && input_key_is_pressed(&input, KEY_ESC))
 		gGameState = QUIT;
@@ -745,23 +746,19 @@ run_game_update(void)
 	map_set_current_room(gMap, &gPlayer->sprite->pos);
 	map_update(&updateData);
 
-	bool turnSwitch = false;
 	if (currentTurn == PLAYER) {
 		if (player_turn_over(gPlayer)) {
 			currentTurn = MONSTER;
 			player_reset_steps(gPlayer);
 			map_on_new_turn(gMap);
-			turnSwitch = true;
 		}
 	} else if (currentTurn == MONSTER) {
 		if (map_move_monsters(gMap, gRoomMatrix)) {
 			currentTurn = PLAYER;
-			turnSwitch = true;
 		}
 	}
 
-	map_clear_expired_entities(gMap, gPlayer);
-	if (turnSwitch)
+	if (map_clear_expired_entities(gMap, gPlayer))
 		repopulate_roommatrix();
 }
 
@@ -927,11 +924,13 @@ run_menu(void)
 
 	SDL_SetRenderDrawColor(gRenderer, 0, 0, 0, 0);
 	SDL_RenderClear(gRenderer);
-	SDL_RenderSetViewport(gRenderer, &menuViewport);
-	map_render(gMap, gCamera);
-	map_render_mid_layer(gMap, gCamera);
-	map_render_top_layer(gMap, gRoomMatrix, gCamera);
-	roommatrix_render_lightmap(gRoomMatrix, gCamera);
+	if (gGameState != CHARACTER_MENU)  {
+		SDL_RenderSetViewport(gRenderer, &menuViewport);
+		map_render(gMap, gCamera);
+		map_render_mid_layer(gMap, gCamera);
+		map_render_top_layer(gMap, gRoomMatrix, gCamera);
+		roommatrix_render_lightmap(gRoomMatrix, gCamera);
+	}
 
 	SDL_RenderSetViewport(gRenderer, &mainViewport);
 
diff --git a/src/map.c b/src/map.c
index 04b45e2..7da13f4 100644
--- a/src/map.c
+++ b/src/map.c
@@ -129,16 +129,18 @@ map_add_trap(Map *map, Position *pos, Trap *trap)
 	*oldTrap = trap;
 }
 
-void
+bool
 map_clear_expired_entities(Map *map, Player *player)
 {
 	LinkedList *filtered = linkedlist_create();
+	bool anythingCleared = false;
 
 	while (map->monsters) {
 		Monster *monster = linkedlist_pop(&map->monsters);
 		if (monster->stats.hp <= 0) {
 			monster_drop_loot(monster, map, player);
 			monster_destroy(monster);
+			anythingCleared = true;
 		} else {
 			linkedlist_append(&filtered, monster);
 		}
@@ -148,32 +150,40 @@ map_clear_expired_entities(Map *map, Player *player)
 	filtered = linkedlist_create();
 	while (map->items) {
 		Item *item = linkedlist_pop(&map->items);
-		if (item->collected)
+		if (item->collected) {
 			item_destroy(item);
-		else
+			anythingCleared = true;
+		} else {
 			linkedlist_append(&filtered, item);
+		}
 	}
 	map->items = filtered;
 
 	filtered = linkedlist_create();
 	while (map->artifacts) {
 		Artifact *a = linkedlist_pop(&map->artifacts);
-		if (!a->collected)
+		if (!a->collected) {
 			linkedlist_append(&filtered, a);
-		else
+		} else {
 			artifact_destroy(a);
+			anythingCleared = true;
+		}
 	}
 	map->artifacts = filtered;
 
 	filtered = linkedlist_create();
 	while (map->objects) {
 		Object *o = linkedlist_pop(&map->objects);
-		if (o->dead)
+		if (o->dead) {
 			object_destroy(o);
-		else
+			anythingCleared = true;
+		} else {
 			linkedlist_append(&filtered, o);
+		}
 	}
 	map->objects = filtered;
+
+	return anythingCleared;
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/src/map.h b/src/map.h
index f4be227..a4df851 100644
--- a/src/map.h
+++ b/src/map.h
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ map_add_monster(Map*, Monster*);
 bool
 map_move_monsters(Map*, RoomMatrix*);
 
-void
+bool
 map_clear_expired_entities(Map*, Player*);
 
 void
diff --git a/src/menu.c b/src/menu.c
index 2595fc2..890d073 100644
--- a/src/menu.c
+++ b/src/menu.c
@@ -97,24 +97,24 @@ menu_create_character_selector(void (*onCharacterSelect)(const char *))
 	};
 
 	Menu *menu = menu_create();
-	int yoffset = 100;
+	int xoffset = 224;
 	for (size_t i = 0; i < 2; ++i) {
 		Sprite *s1 = sprite_create();
 		sprite_set_texture(s1, texturecache_add(spriteSheets[i]), 0);
-		s1->clip = CLIP16(0, 0);
+		s1->clip = CLIP16(0, 48);
 		s1->dim = DIM(64, 64);
-		s1->pos = POS((SCREEN_WIDTH + 16)/2, yoffset);
+		s1->pos = POS(xoffset - 32, 256);
 
 		Sprite *s2 = sprite_create();
 		sprite_set_texture(s2, texturecache_add(spriteSheets[i]), 0);
-		s2->clip = CLIP16(0, 48);
+		s2->clip = CLIP16(0, 0);
 		s2->dim = DIM(64, 64);
-		s2->pos = POS((SCREEN_WIDTH + 16)/2, yoffset);
+		s2->pos = POS(xoffset - 32, 256);
 
 		menu_item_add(menu, s1, s2, (void (*)(void *)) onCharacterSelect);
 		MenuItem *item = linkedlist_get(&menu->items, (Uint32) i);
 		item->button->usrdata = callbackData[i];
-		yoffset += 100;
+		xoffset += 224;
 	}
 
 	return menu;
@@ -125,10 +125,10 @@ handle_keyboard_input(Menu *m, Input *input)
 {
 	int lastSelect = -1;
 
-	if (input_key_is_pressed(input, KEY_UP)) {
+	if (input_key_is_pressed(input, KEY_UP | KEY_LEFT)) {
 		lastSelect = m->selected;
 		m->selected--;
-	} else if (input_key_is_pressed(input, KEY_DOWN)) {
+	} else if (input_key_is_pressed(input, KEY_DOWN | KEY_RIGHT)) {
 		lastSelect = m->selected;
 		m->selected++;
 	} else if (input_key_is_pressed(input, KEY_ENTER)) {