diff --git a/MAKEFILE.DOS b/MAKEFILE.DOS
index 863b0c3..48321a0 100644
--- a/MAKEFILE.DOS
+++ b/MAKEFILE.DOS
@@ -1,105 +1,115 @@
-# MAKEFILE.DOS - Borland Turbo C/C++ Makefile for Cordle
-# Usage: make -f makefile.dos
-#
-# Requirements:
-#   - Borland Turbo C++ 3.x or compatible
-#   - PDCurses library for DOS (PDCURSES.LIB)
-#
-# Memory Model: Small (default) or Medium for larger word lists
-# Adjust TC_DIR and PDCURSES_DIR to match your installation paths
-
-# Turbo C installation directory
-TC_DIR = C:\TC
-
-# PDCurses installation directory
-PDCURSES_DIR = C:\PDCURSES
-
-# Compiler and linker
-CC = $(TC_DIR)\BIN\TCC
-LINK = $(TC_DIR)\BIN\TLINK
-
-# Memory model: s=small, m=medium, c=compact, l=large, h=huge
-MODEL = h
-
-# Compiler flags
-#   -m$(MODEL)  = memory model
-#   -w          = enable warnings
-#   -N          = check stack overflow
-#   -I          = include paths
-#   -D__MSDOS__ = define DOS platform
-CFLAGS = -m$(MODEL) -w -N -I$(TC_DIR)\INCLUDE -IINCLUDE -I$(PDCURSES_DIR) -D__MSDOS__
-
-# Linker flags
-LIBS = $(PDCURSES_DIR)\PDCURSES.LIB
-STARTUP = $(TC_DIR)\LIB\C0$(MODEL).OBJ
-STDLIBS = $(TC_DIR)\LIB\C$(MODEL).LIB
-
-# Directories
-SRC_DIR = SRC
-BUILD_DIR = BUILD
-
-# Object files
-OBJS = $(BUILD_DIR)\MAIN.OBJ $(BUILD_DIR)\GAME.OBJ $(BUILD_DIR)\UI.OBJ $(BUILD_DIR)\WORDS.OBJ
-
-# Target executable
-TARGET = $(BUILD_DIR)\CORDLE.EXE
-
-# Default target
-all: dirs $(TARGET) copywords
-
-# Create build directory
-dirs:
-	IF NOT EXIST $(BUILD_DIR) MD $(BUILD_DIR)
-
-# Compile individual source files
-$(BUILD_DIR)\MAIN.OBJ: $(SRC_DIR)\MAIN.C
-	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c -o$(BUILD_DIR)\MAIN.OBJ $(SRC_DIR)\MAIN.C
-
-$(BUILD_DIR)\GAME.OBJ: $(SRC_DIR)\GAME.C
-	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c -o$(BUILD_DIR)\GAME.OBJ $(SRC_DIR)\GAME.C
-
-$(BUILD_DIR)\UI.OBJ: $(SRC_DIR)\UI.C
-	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c -o$(BUILD_DIR)\UI.OBJ $(SRC_DIR)\UI.C
-
-$(BUILD_DIR)\WORDS.OBJ: $(SRC_DIR)\WORDS.C
-	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c -o$(BUILD_DIR)\WORDS.OBJ $(SRC_DIR)\WORDS.C
-
-# Link executable
-$(TARGET): $(OBJS)
-	$(LINK) /x /c $(STARTUP) $(OBJS),$(TARGET),,$(LIBS) $(STDLIBS)
-
-# Copy word lists to build directory
-copywords:
-	IF NOT EXIST $(BUILD_DIR)\WORDS MD $(BUILD_DIR)\WORDS
-	COPY WORDS\*.TXT $(BUILD_DIR)\WORDS
-
-# Clean build artifacts
-clean:
-	IF EXIST $(BUILD_DIR)\*.OBJ DEL $(BUILD_DIR)\*.OBJ
-	IF EXIST $(BUILD_DIR)\*.EXE DEL $(BUILD_DIR)\*.EXE
-	IF EXIST $(BUILD_DIR)\*.MAP DEL $(BUILD_DIR)\*.MAP
-	IF EXIST $(BUILD_DIR)\WORDS\*.TXT DEL $(BUILD_DIR)\WORDS\*.TXT
-	IF EXIST $(BUILD_DIR)\WORDS RD $(BUILD_DIR)\WORDS
-	IF EXIST $(BUILD_DIR) RD $(BUILD_DIR)
-
-# Rebuild everything
-rebuild: clean all
-
-# Help
-help:
-	@ECHO Cordle DOS Makefile - Borland Turbo C++
-	@ECHO ========================================
-	@ECHO.
-	@ECHO Targets:
-	@ECHO   all     - Build the game (default)
-	@ECHO   clean   - Remove build artifacts
-	@ECHO   rebuild - Clean and rebuild
-	@ECHO   help    - Show this help
-	@ECHO.
-	@ECHO Configuration:
-	@ECHO   Edit TC_DIR and PDCURSES_DIR paths at top of makefile
-	@ECHO   Change MODEL for different memory models (s/m/c/l)
-	@ECHO.
-	@ECHO Requirements:
-	@ECHO   - Borland Turbo C++ 3.x
-	@ECHO   - PDCurses library for DOS
+# MAKEFILE.DOS - Borland Turbo C/C++ Makefile for Cordle
+# Usage: make -f makefile.dos
+#
+# Requirements:
+#   - Borland Turbo C++ 3.x or compatible
+#   - PDCurses library for DOS (PDCURSES.LIB)
+#
+# Memory Model: Small (default) or Medium for larger word lists
+# Adjust TC_DIR and PDCURSES_DIR to match your installation paths
+
+# Turbo C installation directory
+TC_DIR = C:\TC
+
+# PDCurses installation directory
+PDCURSES_DIR = D:\PDC39\DOS
+
+# Compiler and linker
+CC = $(TC_DIR)\BIN\TCC
+LINK = $(TC_DIR)\BIN\TLINK
+
+# Memory model: s=small, m=medium, c=compact, l=large, h=huge
+MODEL = h
+
+# Compiler flags
+#   -m$(MODEL)  = memory model
+#   -w          = enable warnings
+#   -N          = check stack overflow
+#   -I          = include paths
+#   -D__MSDOS__ = define DOS platform
+CFLAGS = -m$(MODEL) -w -N -I$(TC_DIR)\INCLUDE -IINCLUDE -I$(PDCURSES_DIR) -D__MSDOS__
+
+# Linker flags
+LIBS = $(PDCURSES_DIR)\PDCURSES.LIB
+STARTUP = $(TC_DIR)\LIB\C0$(MODEL).OBJ
+STDLIBS = $(TC_DIR)\LIB\C$(MODEL).LIB
+
+# Directories
+SRC_DIR = SRC
+BUILD_DIR = BUILD
+
+# Object files
+OBJS = $(BUILD_DIR)\MAIN.OBJ $(BUILD_DIR)\GAME.OBJ $(BUILD_DIR)\UI.OBJ $(BUILD_DIR)\WORDS.OBJ
+
+# Target executable
+TARGET = $(BUILD_DIR)\CORDLE.EXE
+
+# Default target
+all: dirs $(TARGET) copywords
+
+# Create build directory
+dirs:
+   IF NOT EXIST $(BUILD_DIR) MD $(BUILD_DIR)
+
+# Compile individual source files
+$(BUILD_DIR)\MAIN.OBJ: $(SRC_DIR)\MAIN.C
+   $(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c -o$(BUILD_DIR)\MAIN.OBJ $(SRC_DIR)\MAIN.C
+
+$(BUILD_DIR)\GAME.OBJ: $(SRC_DIR)\GAME.C
+   $(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c -o$(BUILD_DIR)\GAME.OBJ $(SRC_DIR)\GAME.C
+
+$(BUILD_DIR)\UI.OBJ: $(SRC_DIR)\UI.C
+   $(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c -o$(BUILD_DIR)\UI.OBJ $(SRC_DIR)\UI.C
+
+$(BUILD_DIR)\WORDS.OBJ: $(SRC_DIR)\WORDS.C
+   $(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c -o$(BUILD_DIR)\WORDS.OBJ $(SRC_DIR)\WORDS.C
+
+# Link executable using response file to avoid command line length limits
+$(TARGET): $(OBJS)
+   @ECHO $(STARTUP) + > $(BUILD_DIR)\LINK.RSP
+   @ECHO $(BUILD_DIR)\MAIN.OBJ + >> $(BUILD_DIR)\LINK.RSP
+   @ECHO $(BUILD_DIR)\GAME.OBJ + >> $(BUILD_DIR)\LINK.RSP
+   @ECHO $(BUILD_DIR)\UI.OBJ + >> $(BUILD_DIR)\LINK.RSP
+   @ECHO $(BUILD_DIR)\WORDS.OBJ >> $(BUILD_DIR)\LINK.RSP
+   @ECHO $(TARGET) >> $(BUILD_DIR)\LINK.RSP
+   @ECHO. >> $(BUILD_DIR)\LINK.RSP
+   @ECHO $(LIBS) + >> $(BUILD_DIR)\LINK.RSP
+   @ECHO $(STDLIBS) >> $(BUILD_DIR)\LINK.RSP
+   $(LINK) /x /c @$(BUILD_DIR)\LINK.RSP
+
+# Copy word lists to build directory
+copywords:
+   IF NOT EXIST $(BUILD_DIR)\WORDS MD $(BUILD_DIR)\WORDS
+   COPY WORDS\*.TXT $(BUILD_DIR)\WORDS
+
+# Clean build artifacts
+clean:
+   IF EXIST $(BUILD_DIR)\*.OBJ DEL $(BUILD_DIR)\*.OBJ
+   IF EXIST $(BUILD_DIR)\*.EXE DEL $(BUILD_DIR)\*.EXE
+   IF EXIST $(BUILD_DIR)\*.MAP DEL $(BUILD_DIR)\*.MAP
+   IF EXIST $(BUILD_DIR)\*.RSP DEL $(BUILD_DIR)\*.RSP
+   IF EXIST $(BUILD_DIR)\WORDS\*.TXT DEL $(BUILD_DIR)\WORDS\*.TXT
+   IF EXIST $(BUILD_DIR)\WORDS RD $(BUILD_DIR)\WORDS
+   IF EXIST $(BUILD_DIR) RD $(BUILD_DIR)
+
+# Rebuild everything
+rebuild: clean all
+
+# Help
+help:
+   @ECHO Cordle DOS Makefile - Borland Turbo C++
+   @ECHO ========================================
+   @ECHO.
+   @ECHO Targets:
+   @ECHO   all     - Build the game (default)
+   @ECHO   clean   - Remove build artifacts
+   @ECHO   rebuild - Clean and rebuild
+   @ECHO   help    - Show this help
+   @ECHO.
+   @ECHO Configuration:
+   @ECHO   Edit TC_DIR and PDCURSES_DIR paths at top of makefile
+   @ECHO   Change MODEL for different memory models (s/m/c/l)
+   @ECHO.
+   @ECHO Requirements:
+   @ECHO   - Borland Turbo C++ 3.x
+   @ECHO   - PDCurses library for DOS
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 07f8204..6efd10f 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ static void parse_arguments(int argc, char **argv, char *filename, char *difficu
 /* Main game loop */
 static int main_game_loop(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     WINDOW *stdscr;
-    GameState game;
+    static GameState game;
     char filename[MAX_FILENAME];
     char difficulty[32];
     char message[MAX_MESSAGE] = "";