diff --git a/gdrl/Debug/test_render_map.gd b/gdrl/Debug/test_render_map.gd
index be1fd1d..c432d4b 100644
--- a/gdrl/Debug/test_render_map.gd
+++ b/gdrl/Debug/test_render_map.gd
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ func _draw() -> void:
 			var cell = RL.game.world.map.cells[y][x]
 			draw_rect(
 				Rect2(x*cell_size,y*cell_size,cell_size,cell_size), 
-				Color.RED if cell.blocking else Color.GREEN)
+				Color.RED if cell.properties.has(Cell.BlockingProp) else Color.GREEN)
 	
 	for y in RL.game.world.entities.all_entities:
 		draw_rect(
diff --git a/gdrl/Debug/test_scene.gd b/gdrl/Debug/test_scene.gd
index ef99c04..94e73e6 100644
--- a/gdrl/Debug/test_scene.gd
+++ b/gdrl/Debug/test_scene.gd
@@ -13,19 +13,20 @@ func _ready() -> void:
 	RL.game.world.rng = RandomNumberGenerator.new()
 	RL.game.world.rng.seed = 37
 	generate_cells(RL.game.world.rng, RL.game.world.map)
-	for i in 3:
+	for i in 1:
 		var entity = Entity.new()
 		var pos = RL.game.world.map.get_random_coord()
-		while RL.game.world.map.get_cell(pos).blocking:
+		while RL.game.world.map.get_cell(pos).properties.has(Cell.BlockingProp):
 			pos = RL.game.world.map.get_random_coord()
 		entity.position = pos
 		RL.game.world.entities.add_entity(entity)
-
 		
 func generate_cells(rng:RandomNumberGenerator, map:Map):
 	var blocking_cell = Cell.new()
-	blocking_cell.blocking = true
+	blocking_cell.properties.append(Cell.BlockingProp)
+	blocking_cell.resource_name = "blocking"
 	var clear_cell = Cell.new()
+	clear_cell.resource_name = "clear"
 	
 	var err = map.cells.resize(map_size.y)
 	assert(err == OK)
@@ -33,8 +34,8 @@ func generate_cells(rng:RandomNumberGenerator, map:Map):
 		var row:Array = []
 		row.resize(map_size.x)
 		for p in map_size.x:
-			# can duplicate() here if we need unique resource-per-cell
-			row[p] = clear_cell.duplicate() if rng.randf() >= 0.5 else blocking_cell.duplicate()
+			# we use cell references
+			row[p] = clear_cell if rng.randf() >= 0.5 else blocking_cell
 			
 		map.cells[i] = row
 		pass
diff --git a/gdrl/Debug/test_ui.gd b/gdrl/Debug/test_ui.gd
index 3eac466..4789ba6 100644
--- a/gdrl/Debug/test_ui.gd
+++ b/gdrl/Debug/test_ui.gd
@@ -81,13 +81,14 @@ func press_simulate():
 	is_simulating = true
 	# generator will not modify world state, just reads it
 	var generators:Array[BaseActionGenerator] = []
-	var start_pos = Vector2i(
-		RL.game.rng.randi_range(0, RL.game.world.map.get_size().x-1),
-		RL.game.rng.randi_range(0, RL.game.world.map.get_size().y-1))
-	generators.append(GenerateTransformCell.new(Vector2i.UP, start_pos, true))
-	generators.append(GenerateTransformCell.new(Vector2i.RIGHT, start_pos, true))
-	generators.append(GenerateTransformCell.new(Vector2i.LEFT, start_pos, true))
-	generators.append(GenerateTransformCell.new(Vector2i.DOWN, start_pos, true))
+	var start_pos = RL.game.world.entities.get_entity_by_id(0).position
+	#Vector2i(
+		#RL.game.world.rng.randi_range(0, RL.game.world.map.get_size().x-1),
+		#RL.game.world.rng.randi_range(0, RL.game.world.map.get_size().y-1))
+	generators.append(GenerateTransformCell.new(Vector2i.DOWN, start_pos, false))
+	#generators.append(GenerateTransformCell.new(Vector2i.RIGHT, start_pos, false))
+	#generators.append(GenerateTransformCell.new(Vector2i.LEFT, start_pos, false))
+	#generators.append(GenerateTransformCell.new(Vector2i.DOWN, start_pos, false))
 	
 	await simulate(generators)
 		
diff --git a/gdrl/Game/Logic/Action Generators/generate_move_entity.gd b/gdrl/Game/Logic/Action Generators/generate_move_entity.gd
index 57293b2..d0fc1dd 100644
--- a/gdrl/Game/Logic/Action Generators/generate_move_entity.gd	
+++ b/gdrl/Game/Logic/Action Generators/generate_move_entity.gd	
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ func tick(world:WorldState, _new_generators:Array[BaseActionGenerator])->Array:
 	if cell == null:
 		return result
 		
-	if cell.blocking:
+	if cell.properties.has(Cell.BlockingProp):
 		# TODO bump action will be needed for vis
 		# multiple count, bump ends set
 		has_moved = true
diff --git a/gdrl/Game/Logic/Action Generators/generate_transform_cell.gd b/gdrl/Game/Logic/Action Generators/generate_transform_cell.gd
index b934ebe..2e33996 100644
--- a/gdrl/Game/Logic/Action Generators/generate_transform_cell.gd	
+++ b/gdrl/Game/Logic/Action Generators/generate_transform_cell.gd	
@@ -46,7 +46,13 @@ func tick(world:WorldState, new_generators:Array[BaseActionGenerator])->Array:
 		return result
 			
 	var cell = world.map.get_cell(current_index)
-	var action = TransformCell.new(current_index,!cell.blocking, cell.occluding)
+	var props_to_add:Array[StringName]
+	var props_to_remove:Array[StringName]
+	if cell.properties.has(cell.BlockingProp):
+		props_to_remove.append(cell.BlockingProp)
+	else:
+		props_to_add.append(Cell.BlockingProp)
+	var action = TransformCell.new(current_index,props_to_add, props_to_remove)
 	result.push_back(action)
 	current_index += direction
 	return result
diff --git a/gdrl/Game/Logic/Actions/transform_cell.gd b/gdrl/Game/Logic/Actions/transform_cell.gd
index c8604d1..90ef4e9 100644
--- a/gdrl/Game/Logic/Actions/transform_cell.gd
+++ b/gdrl/Game/Logic/Actions/transform_cell.gd
@@ -6,18 +6,44 @@ class_name TransformCell
 var cell_coord_to_change:Vector2i
 
 ### should the target cell become blocking
-var target_blocking:bool
+var properties_to_add:Array[StringName]
 
 ### should the target cells become occluding
-var target_occluding:bool
+var properties_to_remove:Array[StringName]
 
-func _init(_target_cell:Vector2i, _target_blocking:bool, _target_occluding:bool) -> void:
+func _init(_target_cell:Vector2i, _properties_to_add:Array[StringName], _properties_to_remove:Array[StringName]) -> void:
 	cell_coord_to_change = _target_cell
-	target_occluding = _target_occluding
-	target_blocking = _target_blocking
+	properties_to_add = _properties_to_add
+	properties_to_remove = _properties_to_remove
 
 func perform_action(context:WorldState):
 	var cell = context.map.get_cell(cell_coord_to_change)
-	cell.blocking = target_blocking
-	cell.occluding = target_occluding
+	var needs_transform = false
+	for i in properties_to_add:
+		if !cell.properties.has(i):
+			needs_transform = true
+			
+	# only check removes if we need to 
+	if not needs_transform:
+		for i in properties_to_remove:
+			if cell.properties.has(i):
+				needs_transform = true
+				
+	if needs_transform:
+		var newCell = cell
+		if not cell.unique:
+			#cell duplicate for resource independence
+			newCell = cell.duplicate(true)
+			newCell.unique = true
+			newCell.resource_name = newCell.resource_name + "_instance"	
+			context.map.set_cell(cell_coord_to_change, newCell)
+
+		for i in properties_to_add:
+			if !newCell.properties.has(i):
+				newCell.properties.append(i)
+		
+		for i in properties_to_remove:
+			var index = newCell.properties.find(i)
+			if index != -1:
+				newCell.properties.remove_at(index)
 	
diff --git a/gdrl/Game/Logic/Maps/cell.gd b/gdrl/Game/Logic/Maps/cell.gd
index 203c9c6..631cc27 100644
--- a/gdrl/Game/Logic/Maps/cell.gd
+++ b/gdrl/Game/Logic/Maps/cell.gd
@@ -2,9 +2,22 @@ extends Resource
 ### A square on the map
 class_name Cell
 
-### does this cell block movement
-@export var blocking:bool
+### cell properties (array of strings for now)
+@export var properties:Array[String]
 
-### does this cell occlude vision
-@export var occluding:bool
-# discovered
+### static name of blocking property
+static var BlockingProp = "blocking"
+
+### convenience access for "Blocking" property
+var blocking:bool: 
+	get: 
+		return properties.has(BlockingProp)
+
+### is this cell unique in the map?
+# we can either 
+# 	A) have each point on the map be an entirely unique cell
+#		- this is a lot of duplicate data per map
+#	B) have each point on the map be a reference to a cell
+#		- changing cells would involve making copies.
+# so we went with B, and are using `unique` to flag if a cell is unique or not.
+@export var unique:bool = false
diff --git a/gdrl/Game/Logic/Maps/map.gd b/gdrl/Game/Logic/Maps/map.gd
index db16e08..8cb388d 100644
--- a/gdrl/Game/Logic/Maps/map.gd
+++ b/gdrl/Game/Logic/Maps/map.gd
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ func get_cell(pos:Vector2i)->Cell:
 		return null
 		
 	return cells[pos.y][pos.x]
+	
+func set_cell(pos:Vector2i, cell:Cell):
+	cells[pos.y][pos.x] = cell
 
 ### get a random coordinate bounds by map size.  Uses `Game.world_context.rng` by default
 func get_random_coord(rng:RandomNumberGenerator = RL.game.world.rng)->Vector2i:
diff --git a/gdrl/Game/Runner/Actors/enemy_actor.gd b/gdrl/Game/Runner/Actors/enemy_actor.gd
index db9f2ff..8c65a32 100644
--- a/gdrl/Game/Runner/Actors/enemy_actor.gd
+++ b/gdrl/Game/Runner/Actors/enemy_actor.gd
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ func begin_turn(_runner:Runner):
 	while target_direction == null:
 		for i in copy_directions:
 			var cell = RL.game.world.map.get_cell(entity.position + i)
-			if cell != null && !cell.blocking:
+			if cell != null && !cell.properties.has(Cell.BlockingProp):
 				target_direction = i
 				break
 		if target_direction == null:
diff --git a/gdrl/Game/Runner/runner.gd b/gdrl/Game/Runner/runner.gd
index d314f8e..354ba81 100644
--- a/gdrl/Game/Runner/runner.gd
+++ b/gdrl/Game/Runner/runner.gd
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ func _ready() -> void:
 	# player
 	# TODO pull starter position out of map structure
 	var starter_pos = RL.game.world.map.get_random_coord()
-	while RL.game.world.map.get_cell(starter_pos).blocking:
+	while RL.game.world.map.get_cell(starter_pos).properties.has(Cell.BlockingProp):
 		starter_pos = RL.game.world.map.get_random_coord()
 	generate_player(starter_pos)
 	generate_enemies()
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ func generate_player(position:Vector2i):
 func generate_enemies():
 	for i in 5:
 		var starter_pos = RL.game.world.map.get_random_coord()
-		while RL.game.world.map.get_cell(starter_pos).blocking || RL.game.world.entities.get_entity_at_position(starter_pos)!= null:
+		while RL.game.world.map.get_cell(starter_pos).properties.has(Cell.BlockingProp) || RL.game.world.entities.get_entity_at_position(starter_pos)!= null:
 			starter_pos = RL.game.world.map.get_random_coord()
 		var entity = Entity.new()
 		entity.position = starter_pos
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ func generate_enemies():
 ### Temporary.  Move to a Map Generator
 func generate_cells(rng:RandomNumberGenerator, map:Map):
 	var blocking_cell = Cell.new()
-	blocking_cell.blocking = true
+	blocking_cell.properties.append(Cell.BlockingProp)
 	var clear_cell = Cell.new()
 	var map_size = 8
 	var err = map.cells.resize(map_size)
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ func generate_cells(rng:RandomNumberGenerator, map:Map):
 		row.resize(map_size)
 		for p in map_size:
 			# can duplicate() here if we need unique resource-per-cell
-			row[p] = clear_cell.duplicate() if rng.randf() >= 0.5 else blocking_cell.duplicate()
+			row[p] = clear_cell if rng.randf() >= 0.5 else blocking_cell
 			
 		map.cells[i] = row
 		pass