diff --git a/src/gamestates/menu.lua b/src/gamestates/menu.lua
index 6409da1..31133ca 100644
--- a/src/gamestates/menu.lua
+++ b/src/gamestates/menu.lua
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
-local ser = require "lib.ser"
 local input = require "util.input"
+local inifile = require "lib.inifile"
+local ser = require "lib.ser"
 
 local Gamestate = require "lib.gamestate"
 local game = require "gamestates.game"
diff --git a/src/gamestates/trophies.lua b/src/gamestates/trophies.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..408a278
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/gamestates/trophies.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+local inifile = require "lib.inifile"
+local trophies = require "trophies"
+
+local state = {}
+
+local previousState
+
+function state:init()
+	-- load or create our actual trophy state
+	if love.filesystem.isFile("trophies.ini") then
+		local trophyStates = inifile.parse("trophies.ini")
+	else
+		trophyStates = {
+			16814 = false,
+			16815 = false,
+			16816 = false,
+			16821 = false
+		}
+		-- TODO write these to file with inifile
+	end
+end
+
+function state:enter(previous)
+	--
+end
+
+function state:draw()
+	--
+end
+
+return state
diff --git a/src/main.lua b/src/main.lua
index 75e8de4..b3e1144 100644
--- a/src/main.lua
+++ b/src/main.lua
@@ -32,10 +32,12 @@ function love.load()
 				end
 				local sessionSuccess = Gamejolt.openSession() -- tell Game Jolt the user is playing
 				if sessionSuccess then
+					--[[ -- we don't ping immediately, also the menu DOES ping immediately
 					local idleSuccess = Gamejolt.pingSession(false)
 					if not idleSuccess then
 						log("Couldn't ping Gamejolt session. Session may close.") --this is lazy but I don't care
 					end
+					--]]
 					gamejoltSession = true
 				else
 					log("Couldn't open a session with Game Jolt.")
diff --git a/src/trophies.lua b/src/trophies.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fc86d42
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/trophies.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+local trophies = {
+	-- note that image_url values are not actually URLs, they are local resources
+	{
+		id = 16814,
+		title = "The Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything",
+		description = "Score 42 points in any mode.",
+		difficulty = "Silver",
+		image_url = "achievements/the_answer.png",
+		achieved = false,
+		isSecret = true,
+		isVisible = true
+	},
+	{
+		id = 16815,
+		title = "h4x0r",
+		description = "Unable to be achieved and only visible to me. To obtain, you must hack the game.",
+		difficulty = "Bronze",
+		image_url = "achievements/h4x0r.png",
+		achieved = false,
+		isSecret = true,
+		isVisible = false
+	},
+	{
+		id = 16816,
+		title = "Failure",
+		description = "Lose a game.",
+		difficulty = "Bronze",
+		image_url = "achievements/failure.png",
+		achieved = false,
+		isSecret = false,
+		isVisible = true
+	},
+	{
+		id = 16821,
+		title = "l33t",
+		description = "Score 1337 points in any mode.",
+		difficulty = "Bronze",
+		image_url = "achievements/l33t.png",
+		achieved = false,
+		isSecret = true,
+		isVisible = true
+	}
+}
+
+function trophies:getByID(id)
+	for i=1,#self do
+		if self[i].id == id then return self[i] end
+	end
+end
+
+function trophies:achieve(id, session)
+	local trophy
+	for i=1,#self do
+		if self[i].id == id then trophy = self[i] end
+	end
+	if not trophy.achieved then
+		trophy.achieved = true
+		-- TODO need to trigger a popup
+		if session then
+			local achieveSuccess = Gamejolt.giveTrophy(id)
+			if achieveSuccess then
+				log("Achieved trophy #" .. id)
+			else
+				log("Error with Game Jolt. Trophy #" .. id .. " could not be achieved.")
+			end
+		end
+	end
+end
+
+-- only call if there is a session
+-- returns true/false whether sync was successful
+function trophies:syncTrophies()
+	--first we fetch the trophies available
+	local gjTrophies = Gamejolt.fetchAllTrophies()
+	if gjTrophies then
+		for i=1,#gjTrophies do  --within the remote
+			for j=1,#self do    --check locally
+				if self[j].id == gjTrophies[i].id then --if same
+					if gjTrophies[i].achieved and not self[j].achieved then --if achieved remotely and not here,
+						self[j].achieved = true                             --achieve here
+					end
+					if self[j].achieved and not gjTrophies[i].achieved then    --if achieved here and not remotely,
+						local achieveSuccess = Gamejolt.giveTrohpy(self[j].id) --give it remotely
+						if not achieveSuccess then
+							log("Failed to achieve trophy #" .. self[j].id .. " on Game Jolt.")
+							return false
+						end
+					end
+				end
+			end
+		end
+		return true
+	else
+		log("Failed to retrieve trophies from Game Jolt.")
+		return false
+	end
+end
+
+return trophies