diff --git a/src/BufferedImageWrapper.java b/src/BufferedImageWrapper.java
index 3473ba3..9bac3f1 100644
--- a/src/BufferedImageWrapper.java
+++ b/src/BufferedImageWrapper.java
@@ -61,8 +61,14 @@ public class BufferedImageWrapper implements Serializable {
         flipImage = (Boolean)in.readObject();
         o = in.readObject();
         if (o instanceof String) {
-            image = GamePanel.getImage((String)o);
+            BufferedImage temporaryImage;
             this.imageString = (String)o;
+            temporaryImage = GamePanel.getImage(imageString);
+            if (flipImage) {
+                image = GamePanel.flipImageHorizontally(temporaryImage);
+            } else {
+                image = temporaryImage;
+            }
         } else {
             image = ImageIO.read(in);
         }
diff --git a/src/DialogueMenu.java b/src/DialogueMenu.java
index 5e778b6..70201d6 100644
--- a/src/DialogueMenu.java
+++ b/src/DialogueMenu.java
@@ -9,7 +9,10 @@ public class DialogueMenu extends TextBox implements Serializable {
     public static final int PADDING = 20;
     public static final int TOP_PADDING = 10;
     public static final double LINE_SPACING = 1.5;
+    public static final int FREQUENCY = 2;
     public BufferedImageWrapper PORTRAIT;
+    public int currentFrame = 0;
+    public int frameCounter = 0;
 
     public DialogueMenu(int y, int yHeight, Font font, BufferedImageWrapper portrait) {
         super(y, GamePanel.GAME_WIDTH - PORTRAIT_WIDTH - PADDING*3, yHeight, 0, font, null, null);
@@ -18,6 +21,7 @@ public class DialogueMenu extends TextBox implements Serializable {
     }
 
     public void drawCenteredTextBox(Graphics g, String text, Color backgroundColor, Color textColor) {
+        text = text.substring(0, currentFrame);
         if (backgroundColor != null) {
             g.setColor(textColor);
             // TODO: make drawn line widths consistent
@@ -59,8 +63,19 @@ public class DialogueMenu extends TextBox implements Serializable {
         }
     }
 
-    public void draw(Graphics g, String text, Color backgroundColor, Color textColor) {
+    public boolean draw(Graphics g, String text, Color backgroundColor, Color textColor) {
+        if (frameCounter >= FREQUENCY) {
+            frameCounter -= FREQUENCY;
+            currentFrame += 1;
+        }
         g.setFont(font);
         drawCenteredTextBox(g, text, backgroundColor, textColor);
+        frameCounter++;
+        if (currentFrame >= text.length()) {
+            currentFrame = 0;
+            return true;
+        } else {
+            return false;
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/FileManager.java b/src/FileManager.java
index d9bd032..bf2eb86 100644
--- a/src/FileManager.java
+++ b/src/FileManager.java
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ public class FileManager {
         } else {
             objectStream = new ObjectInputStream(fileStream);
         }
+        objectStream.close();
+        fileStream.close();
         return objectStream.readObject();
     }
 
@@ -41,6 +43,7 @@ public class FileManager {
         FileOutputStream fileStream = new FileOutputStream(fileLocation);
         ObjectOutputStream objectStream = new ObjectOutputStream(fileStream);
         objectStream.writeObject(o);
-        //System.out.println(o + " " + fileLocation);
+        objectStream.close();
+        fileStream.close();
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/GameFrame.java b/src/GameFrame.java
index afd250f..79849e8 100644
--- a/src/GameFrame.java
+++ b/src/GameFrame.java
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ public class GameFrame extends JFrame{
       main.setLayout(new CardLayout());
       menu = new MenuPanel(main);
       try {
-        game = (GamePanel)FileManager.readObjectFromFile("local/game_state", Arrays.asList("Any"));
+        game = (GamePanel)FileManager.readObjectFromFile("local/game_state.dat", Arrays.asList("Any"));
         game.gameFrame = main;
         game.addUserInterface();
         game.startThread();
diff --git a/src/GamePanel.java b/src/GamePanel.java
index 261e913..5bd288c 100644
--- a/src/GamePanel.java
+++ b/src/GamePanel.java
@@ -14,16 +14,21 @@ import java.io.File;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import javax.imageio.ImageIO;
 import java.io.Serializable;
+import java.nio.file.Files;
+import java.nio.file.Path;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import javax.sound.sampled.LineUnavailableException;
 import javax.sound.sampled.UnsupportedAudioFileException;
 import javax.swing.*;
 
+import static java.nio.file.StandardCopyOption.ATOMIC_MOVE;
+
 public class GamePanel extends JPanel implements Runnable, KeyListener, Serializable {
 
   //dimensions of window
   public static final int GAME_WIDTH = 1225;
   public static final int GAME_HEIGHT = 630;
+  public int bombCount;
 
   public transient JPanel gameFrame;
 
@@ -37,9 +42,10 @@ public class GamePanel extends JPanel implements Runnable, KeyListener, Serializ
   // keeps track of how many ticks has elapsed since last frame change
   public int playerFrameCounter = 0;
   public int enemyFrameCounter = 0;
-  public boolean isPaused, isDialogue;
+  public boolean isPaused, isDialogue, waitForDialogue;
   public PauseMenu pauseMenu;
   public DialogueMenu dialogueMenu;
+  public ArrayList<String> dialogueArray = new ArrayList<String>();
 
 
   public BufferedImageWrapper[][][] playerSpriteArray = new BufferedImageWrapper[2][2][11];
@@ -67,6 +73,7 @@ public class GamePanel extends JPanel implements Runnable, KeyListener, Serializ
   public BufferedImageWrapper cloud3 = new BufferedImageWrapper(("img/backgrounds/cloud3.png"));
   public BufferedImageWrapper bomb;
   public BufferedImageWrapper onePortrait = new BufferedImageWrapper(("img/dialogue/Gunther.png"));
+  public String lastText;
 
 
   public GamePanel(JPanel gameFrame) throws IOException, SpriteException, UnsupportedAudioFileException, LineUnavailableException {
@@ -78,6 +85,8 @@ public class GamePanel extends JPanel implements Runnable, KeyListener, Serializ
     cloudThreeBackground = new BackgroundImage(1000, 200, cloud3, cloud2.image.getWidth(), cloud3.image.getHeight(), 5, camera);
     pauseMenu = new PauseMenu(GAME_HEIGHT/2, 100, 400, 400, GAME_WIDTH, new Font(Font.MONOSPACED, Font.BOLD, 60), "Paused");
     dialogueMenu = new DialogueMenu(GAME_HEIGHT-100, 200, new Font(Font.MONOSPACED, Font.BOLD, 20), onePortrait);
+    dialogueArray.add("Lorem ipsum lorem ipsum lorem ipsum lorem ipsum lorem ipsum lorem ipsum lorem ipsum");
+    dialogueArray.add("I told you so");
     try {
       // load player sprites from disk here
       for (int i = 0; i < 11; i++) {
@@ -254,7 +263,19 @@ public class GamePanel extends JPanel implements Runnable, KeyListener, Serializ
     } else if (isDialogue) {
       g.setColor(new Color(255, 255, 255, 100));
       g.fillRect(0, 0, GAME_WIDTH, GAME_HEIGHT);
-      dialogueMenu.draw(g, "Lorem ipsum lorem ipsum lorem ipsum lorem ipsum lorem ipsum lorem ipsum lorem ipsum", Color.white, Color.black);
+      try {
+        if (waitForDialogue) {
+          System.out.println(dialogueArray);
+          dialogueMenu.currentFrame = dialogueArray.get(0).length();
+          dialogueMenu.frameCounter = 0;
+          dialogueMenu.draw(g, dialogueArray.get(0), Color.white, Color.black);
+        } else if (dialogueMenu.draw(g, dialogueArray.get(0), Color.white, Color.black)) {
+          waitForDialogue = true;
+        }
+      } catch (IndexOutOfBoundsException e) {
+        isDialogue = false;
+        throw new RuntimeException(e);
+      }
     }
   }
 
@@ -321,6 +342,8 @@ public class GamePanel extends JPanel implements Runnable, KeyListener, Serializ
     if (isNewStart) {
       LevelManager.setLevel(1);
       isDialogue = true;
+    } else {
+      LevelManager.bombs = bombCount;
     }
     //the CPU runs our game code too quickly - we need to slow it down! The following lines of code "force" the computer to get stuck in a loop for short intervals between calling other methods to update the screen. 
     long lastTime = System.nanoTime();
@@ -354,14 +377,17 @@ public class GamePanel extends JPanel implements Runnable, KeyListener, Serializ
             // increment sprite image to be used and keeps it below 12
             playerFrame = (playerFrame + 1) % 11;
             playerFrameCounter -= 5;
-            // if the player has moved enough to justify a frame change, a new save will also be made
-            try {
-              FileManager.writeObjectToFile("local/game_state", this); // this is placeholder, replace with this
-            } catch (IOException e) {
-              e.printStackTrace();
-            }
           }
         }
+        // a new save is made every tick
+        bombCount = LevelManager.bombs;
+        try {
+          // atomic save to prevent EOF errors
+          FileManager.writeObjectToFile("local\\temp_state.dat", this);
+          Files.move(Path.of("local", "temp_state.dat"), Path.of("local", "game_state.dat"), ATOMIC_MOVE);
+        } catch (IOException e) {
+          e.printStackTrace();
+        }
         repaint();
         delta--;
       }
@@ -395,7 +421,10 @@ public class GamePanel extends JPanel implements Runnable, KeyListener, Serializ
     if (e.getKeyCode() == KeyEvent.VK_ESCAPE) {
       isPaused = !isPaused;
     } else if (e.getKeyCode() == KeyEvent.VK_ENTER) {
-      isDialogue = false;
+      dialogueMenu.currentFrame = 0;
+      dialogueMenu.frameCounter = 0;
+      dialogueArray.remove(0);
+      waitForDialogue = false;
     } else {
       player.keyPressed(e);
     }