diff --git a/TODO.md b/TODO.md
index 1792fb3..b93c6b2 100644
--- a/TODO.md
+++ b/TODO.md
@@ -2,6 +2,11 @@
 
 ## game data structure
 
+add "from_dir" functions for structs
+  make that function generic?
+
+-- 
+
 what is the distinction between animate and inanimate objects?
 
 idea: 
@@ -12,21 +17,7 @@ idea:
       * each position could have (optionally) a tile and (optionally) a thing
       * things have render priority
 
-### colours
-
-~convert colours to hex~
-* ~accept abcdef, #abcdef, 0xabcdef (inc. uppercase)~
-* ~export as #abcdef~
-
-### palettes
-
-### images
-
-* ideally support gif/png...
-
-### parser
-
-* ~move tests into their respective modules where appropriate~
+* ideally support gif/png for images (are there other indexed colour formats?)
 
 ## players
 
@@ -34,10 +25,6 @@ idea:
     * re-use player avatar drawing function as generic image drawing function
     * text (how?)
     * support older graphics adaptors
-    
-### linux
-
-* ~get working~
 
 ### windows
 
diff --git a/src/entity.rs b/src/entity.rs
index a9a837e..f0e61c1 100644
--- a/src/entity.rs
+++ b/src/entity.rs
@@ -4,9 +4,9 @@ use serde_derive::{Serialize, Deserialize};
 
 #[derive(Debug, Eq, PartialEq)]
 pub struct Entity {
-    name: String,
-    image: String,
-    tags: Vec<String>,
+    pub name: String,
+    pub image: String,
+    pub tags: Vec<String>,
 }
 
 impl Entity {
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index d979ff2..0d5c444 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -112,8 +112,8 @@ pub struct Game {
     images: Vec<Image>,
     tiles: Vec<Tile>,
     entities: Vec<Entity>,
-//     variables: Vec<Variable>,
-//     triggers: HashMap<String, ScriptCollection>,
+    // variables: Vec<Variable>,
+    // triggers: HashMap<String, ScriptCollection>,
     music: Vec<Music>,
 }
 
@@ -121,9 +121,7 @@ pub struct Game {
 pub struct GameParseError;
 
 impl Game {
-    pub fn from(path: String) -> Result<Game, GameParseError> {
-        let path = PathBuf::from(path);
-
+    pub fn from(path: PathBuf) -> Result<Game, GameParseError> {
         let mut images = Vec::new();
         let mut tiles = Vec::new();
         let mut entities = Vec::new();
@@ -200,4 +198,71 @@ impl Game {
 
         Ok(Game { config, images, tiles, palettes, music, entities })
     }
+
+    // todo Result<&Image>?
+    pub fn get_image_by_name(&self, name: String) -> Option<&Image> {
+        for image in self.images.iter() {
+            if image.name == name {
+                return Some(&image);
+            }
+        }
+
+        None
+    }
+
+    pub fn get_entities_by_tag(&self, tag: &String) -> Vec<&Entity> {
+        let mut entities = Vec::new();
+
+        for entity in self.entities.iter() {
+            if entity.tags.contains(tag) {
+                entities.push(entity);
+            }
+        }
+
+        entities
+    }
+
+    // todo Result<&Entity>?
+    pub fn get_entity_by_name(&self, name: String) -> Option<&Entity> {
+        for entity in self.entities.iter() {
+            if entity.name == name {
+                return Some(&entity);
+            }
+        }
+
+        None
+    }
+
+    // todo Result<&Music>?
+    pub fn get_music_by_name(&self, name: String) -> Option<&Music> {
+        for music in self.music.iter() {
+            if music.name == name {
+                return Some(&music);
+            }
+        }
+
+        None
+    }
+
+    // todo Result<&Palette>?
+    pub fn get_palette_by_name(&self, name: String) -> Option<&Palette> {
+        for palette in self.palettes.iter() {
+            if palette.name == name {
+                return Some(&palette);
+            }
+        }
+
+        None
+    }
+
+    // todo Result<&Tile>?
+    pub fn get_tile_by_name(&self, name: String) -> Option<&Tile> {
+        for tile in self.tiles.iter() {
+            if tile.name == name {
+                return Some(&tile);
+            }
+        }
+
+        None
+    }
 }