diff --git a/apps/wolf_3d_cli/bin/main.dart b/apps/wolf_3d_cli/bin/main.dart
index 67dc157..b9f568f 100644
--- a/apps/wolf_3d_cli/bin/main.dart
+++ b/apps/wolf_3d_cli/bin/main.dart
@@ -41,7 +41,10 @@ void main() async {
   final input = CliInput();
   final cliAudio = CliSilentAudio();
 
-  final rasterizer = AsciiRasterizer();
+  final rasterizer = AsciiRasterizer(
+    aspectMultiplier: 1.0,
+    verticalStretch: 2.0,
+  );
 
   FrameBuffer buffer = FrameBuffer(
     stdout.terminalColumns,
@@ -107,8 +110,6 @@ void main() async {
     // Move cursor to top-left (0,0) before drawing the frame
     stdout.write('\x1b[H');
 
-    input.update();
-
     engine.tick(elapsed);
     rasterizer.render(engine, buffer);
     rasterizer.finalizeFrame();
diff --git a/apps/wolf_3d_gui/lib/screens/game_screen.dart b/apps/wolf_3d_gui/lib/screens/game_screen.dart
index 5f7c4a4..2fdf1e8 100644
--- a/apps/wolf_3d_gui/lib/screens/game_screen.dart
+++ b/apps/wolf_3d_gui/lib/screens/game_screen.dart
@@ -54,6 +54,27 @@ class _GameScreenState extends State<GameScreen> {
               ? WolfAsciiRenderer(engine: _engine)
               : WolfFlutterRenderer(engine: _engine),
 
+          if (!_engine.isInitialized)
+            Container(
+              color: Colors.black,
+              child: const Center(
+                child: Column(
+                  mainAxisSize: MainAxisSize.min,
+                  children: [
+                    CircularProgressIndicator(color: Colors.teal),
+                    SizedBox(height: 20),
+                    Text(
+                      "GET PSYCHED!",
+                      style: TextStyle(
+                        color: Colors.teal,
+                        fontFamily: 'monospace',
+                      ),
+                    ),
+                  ],
+                ),
+              ),
+            ),
+
           // TAB listener
           Focus(
             autofocus: true,
diff --git a/packages/wolf_3d_engine/lib/src/ascii_rasterizer.dart b/packages/wolf_3d_engine/lib/src/ascii_rasterizer.dart
index b0e6c2f..a29d6bc 100644
--- a/packages/wolf_3d_engine/lib/src/ascii_rasterizer.dart
+++ b/packages/wolf_3d_engine/lib/src/ascii_rasterizer.dart
@@ -47,19 +47,21 @@ class ColoredChar {
 }
 
 class AsciiRasterizer extends Rasterizer {
-  final AsciiTheme activeTheme = AsciiThemes.blocks;
+  AsciiRasterizer({
+    this.activeTheme = AsciiThemes.blocks,
+    this.aspectMultiplier = 1.0,
+    this.verticalStretch = 1.0,
+  });
+
+  AsciiTheme activeTheme = AsciiThemes.blocks;
 
   late List<List<ColoredChar>> _screen;
   late WolfEngine _engine;
 
-  // Terminal characters are usually twice as tall as they are wide.
-  // We override the base multiplier to squish sprites horizontally.
   @override
-  double get aspectMultiplier => 1.0;
-
-  // Squish the entire 3D projection vertically by 50% to counteract tall terminal fonts
+  final double aspectMultiplier;
   @override
-  double get verticalStretch => 1.0;
+  final double verticalStretch;
 
   // Intercept the base render call to initialize our text grid
   @override
diff --git a/packages/wolf_3d_renderer/lib/wolf_3d_flutter_renderer.dart b/packages/wolf_3d_renderer/lib/wolf_3d_flutter_renderer.dart
index bcbff63..9f38382 100644
--- a/packages/wolf_3d_renderer/lib/wolf_3d_flutter_renderer.dart
+++ b/packages/wolf_3d_renderer/lib/wolf_3d_flutter_renderer.dart
@@ -26,22 +26,13 @@ class _WolfFlutterRendererState
   @override
   Color get scaffoldColor => const Color.fromARGB(255, 4, 64, 64);
 
-  @override
-  void dispose() {
-    _renderedFrame?.dispose();
-    super.dispose();
-  }
-
   @override
   void performRender() {
-    // Avoid overlapping render calls since decodeImageFromPixels is async
     if (_isRendering) return;
     _isRendering = true;
 
-    // 1. Rasterize the frame into the pixel buffer
     _rasterizer.render(widget.engine, _frameBuffer);
 
-    // 2. Convert raw pixels to a Flutter ui.Image
     ui.decodeImageFromPixels(
       _frameBuffer.pixels.buffer.asUint8List(),
       _frameBuffer.width,
@@ -61,13 +52,16 @@ class _WolfFlutterRendererState
 
   @override
   Widget buildViewport(BuildContext context) {
+    // If we don't have a frame yet, show the loading state
+    if (_renderedFrame == null) {
+      return const CircularProgressIndicator(color: Colors.white24);
+    }
+
     return Padding(
       padding: const EdgeInsets.all(16.0),
       child: AspectRatio(
         aspectRatio: 4 / 3,
-        child: CustomPaint(
-          painter: BufferPainter(_renderedFrame),
-        ),
+        child: CustomPaint(painter: BufferPainter(_renderedFrame)),
       ),
     );
   }