diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index d4fb281..544f547 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+# VS Code settings
+.vscode/
+
 # Prerequisites
 *.d
 
@@ -38,4 +41,4 @@
 *.app
 
 # debug information files
-*.dwo
+*.dwo
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/main.cpp b/main.cpp
index ef65093..a5ee391 100644
--- a/main.cpp
+++ b/main.cpp
@@ -1,9 +1,13 @@
 #include "snake.h"
+#include <thread>
+
+int main() {
+    Game game;
+    thread input_thread(&Game::handle_input, &game);
+    thread game_thread(&Game::play, &game);
 
-int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
-    thread input_thread(input_handler);
-    thread game_thread(game_play);   
     input_thread.join();
     game_thread.join();
-return 0;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+
+    return 0;
+}
diff --git a/snake.h b/snake.h
index ebe1192..ac25d62 100644
--- a/snake.h
+++ b/snake.h
@@ -1,101 +1,169 @@
+#pragma once
 #include <iostream>
 #include <vector>
+#include <deque>
+#include <map>
+#include <algorithm>
+#include <fstream>
 #include <chrono>
 #include <thread>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <termios.h>
-#include <unistd.h> // for system clear
-#include <map>
-#include <deque>
-#include <algorithm>
+#include <unistd.h>
+
 using namespace std;
-using std::chrono::system_clock;
 using namespace std::this_thread;
-char direction='r';
-
-
-void input_handler(){
-    // change terminal settings
-    struct termios oldt, newt;
-    tcgetattr(STDIN_FILENO, &oldt);
-    newt = oldt;
-    // turn off canonical mode and echo
-    newt.c_lflag &= ~(ICANON | ECHO);
-    tcsetattr(STDIN_FILENO, TCSANOW, &newt);
-    map<char, char> keymap = {{'d', 'r'}, {'a', 'l'}, {'w', 'u'}, {'s', 'd'}, {'q', 'q'}};
-    while (true) {
-        char input = getchar();
-        if (keymap.find(input) != keymap.end()) {
-            // This now correctly modifies the single, shared 'direction' variable
-            direction = keymap[input];
-        }else if (input == 'q'){
-            exit(0);
-        }
-        // You could add an exit condition here, e.g., if (input == 'q') break;
+using namespace std::chrono;
+
+constexpr int GRID_SIZE = 10;
+constexpr int INITIAL_SPEED = 500; // milliseconds
+constexpr int POISON_INTERVAL = 5000; // milliseconds
+constexpr int MAX_TOP_SCORES = 10;
+
+class Game {
+private:
+    char direction = 'r';
+    bool paused = false;
+    vector<int> top_scores;
+    deque<pair<int,int>> snake;
+    pair<int,int> food;
+    pair<int,int> poison;
+    int speed = INITIAL_SPEED;
+    int score = 0;
+    int food_eaten = 0;
+    int poison_timer = 0;
+
+public:
+    Game() {
+        snake.push_back({0,0});
+        food = generate_food();
+        poison = generate_poison();
+        load_top_scores();
     }
-    tcsetattr(STDIN_FILENO, TCSANOW, &oldt);
-}
-
-
-void render_game(int size, deque<pair<int, int>> &snake, pair<int, int> food){
-    for(size_t i=0;i<size;i++){
-        for(size_t j=0;j<size;j++){
-            if (i == food.first && j == food.second){
-                cout << "🍎";
-            }else if (find(snake.begin(), snake.end(), make_pair(int(i), int(j))) != snake.end()) {
-                cout << "🐍";
-            }else{
-                cout << "⬜";
+
+    void load_top_scores() {
+        ifstream infile("top_scores.txt");
+        int s;
+        top_scores.clear();
+        while (infile >> s) top_scores.push_back(s);
+        infile.close();
+        sort(top_scores.rbegin(), top_scores.rend());
+        if (top_scores.size() > MAX_TOP_SCORES) top_scores.resize(MAX_TOP_SCORES);
+    }
+
+    void save_top_scores() {
+        ofstream outfile("top_scores.txt");
+        for (int s : top_scores) outfile << s << endl;
+        outfile.close();
+    }
+
+    pair<int,int> get_next_head(pair<int,int> current, char dir) {
+        if(dir == 'r') return {current.first, (current.second + 1) % GRID_SIZE};
+        if(dir == 'l') return {current.first, current.second == 0 ? GRID_SIZE - 1 : current.second - 1};
+        if(dir == 'd') return {(current.first + 1) % GRID_SIZE, current.second};
+        if(dir == 'u') return {current.first == 0 ? GRID_SIZE - 1 : current.first - 1, current.second};
+        return current;
+    }
+
+    pair<int,int> generate_food() {
+        pair<int,int> f;
+        do { f = {rand() % GRID_SIZE, rand() % GRID_SIZE}; }
+        while (find(snake.begin(), snake.end(), f) != snake.end());
+        return f;
+    }
+
+    pair<int,int> generate_poison() {
+        pair<int,int> p;
+        do { p = {rand() % GRID_SIZE, rand() % GRID_SIZE}; }
+        while (find(snake.begin(), snake.end(), p) != snake.end() || p == food);
+        return p;
+    }
+
+    void render() {
+        for(int i = 0; i < GRID_SIZE; ++i) {
+            for(int j = 0; j < GRID_SIZE; ++j) {
+                pair<int,int> cell = {i,j};
+                if(cell == food) cout << "🍎";
+                else if(cell == poison) cout << "☠️";
+                else if(find(snake.begin(), snake.end(), cell) != snake.end()) cout << "🐍";
+                else cout << "⬜";
             }
+            cout << endl;
+        }
+        cout << "Length: " << snake.size() << " | Score: " << score << " | Food eaten: " << food_eaten
+             << " | Speed: " << speed << "ms" << endl;
     }
-    cout << endl;
-}
-}
-
-pair<int,int> get_next_head(pair<int,int> current, char direction){
-    pair<int, int> next; 
-    if(direction =='r'){
-        next = make_pair(current.first,(current.second+1) % 10);
-    }else if (direction=='l')
-    {
-        next = make_pair(current.first, current.second==0?9:current.second-1);
-    }else if(direction =='d'){
-            next = make_pair((current.first+1)%10,current.second);
-        }else if (direction=='u'){
-            next = make_pair(current.first==0?9:current.first-1, current.second);
+
+    void handle_input() {
+        struct termios oldt, newt;
+        tcgetattr(STDIN_FILENO, &oldt);
+        newt = oldt;
+        newt.c_lflag &= ~(ICANON | ECHO);
+        tcsetattr(STDIN_FILENO, TCSANOW, &newt);
+
+        map<char,char> keymap = {{'d','r'}, {'a','l'}, {'w','u'}, {'s','d'}};
+
+        while(true) {
+            char input = getchar();
+            if(keymap.find(input) != keymap.end()) direction = keymap[input];
+            else if(input == 'p') paused = !paused;
+            else if(input == 'q') exit(0);
         }
-    return next;
-    
-}
-
-
-
-void game_play(){
-    system("clear");
-    deque<pair<int, int>> snake;
-    snake.push_back(make_pair(0,0));
-
-    pair<int, int> food = make_pair(rand() % 10, rand() % 10);
-    for(pair<int, int> head=make_pair(0,1);; head = get_next_head(head, direction)){
-        // send the cursor to the top
-        cout << "\033[H";
-        // check self collision
-        if (find(snake.begin(), snake.end(), head) != snake.end()) {
-            system("clear");
-            cout << "Game Over" << endl;
-            exit(0);
-        }else if (head.first == food.first && head.second == food.second) {
-            // grow snake
-            food = make_pair(rand() % 10, rand() % 10);
-            snake.push_back(head);            
-        }else{
-            // move snake
-            snake.push_back(head);
-            snake.pop_front();
+
+        tcsetattr(STDIN_FILENO, TCSANOW, &oldt);
+    }
+
+    void play() {
+        pair<int,int> head = {0,1};
+
+        while(true) {
+            cout << "\033[H"; // move cursor to top
+
+            while(paused) {
+                system("clear");
+                render();
+                cout << "=== PAUSED ===\nPress 'p' to resume...\n";
+                sleep_for(milliseconds(200));
+            }
+
+            head = get_next_head(head, direction);
+
+            if(find(snake.begin(), snake.end(), head) != snake.end() || head == poison) {
+                end_game(head == poison ? "Snake ate poison ☠️." : "Snake hit itself.");
+            }
+
+            if(head == food) {
+                snake.push_back(head);
+                food = generate_food();
+                food_eaten++;
+                score += 10;
+                if(food_eaten % 10 == 0 && speed > 100) speed += 50;
+            } else {
+                snake.push_back(head);
+                snake.pop_front();
+            }
+
+            poison_timer += speed;
+            if(poison_timer >= POISON_INTERVAL) {
+                poison = generate_poison();
+                poison_timer = 0;
+            }
+
+            render();
+            sleep_for(milliseconds(speed));
         }
-        render_game(10, snake, food);
-        cout << "length of snake: " << snake.size() << endl;
-    
-        sleep_for(500ms);
     }
-}
+
+private:
+    void end_game(const string& message) {
+        system("clear");
+        top_scores.push_back(score);
+        sort(top_scores.rbegin(), top_scores.rend());
+        if(top_scores.size() > MAX_TOP_SCORES) top_scores.resize(MAX_TOP_SCORES);
+        save_top_scores();
+
+        cout << "Game Over! " << message << "\nTop 10 Scores:\n";
+        for(int s : top_scores) cout << s << endl;
+        exit(0);
+    }
+};
diff --git a/top_scores.txt b/top_scores.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cf8ba84
--- /dev/null
+++ b/top_scores.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+20
+20
+0
\ No newline at end of file