diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 7fb825f..7c5df2a 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/ebitengine/gomobile v0.0.0-20240518074828-e86332849895 // indirect
 	github.com/ebitengine/hideconsole v1.0.0 // indirect
 	github.com/ebitengine/purego v0.7.0 // indirect
-	github.com/ebitenui/ebitenui v0.5.8-0.20240608175527-424f62327b21 // indirect
+	github.com/ebitenui/ebitenui v0.5.8-0.20240608230235-27496c28f409 // indirect
 	github.com/golang/freetype v0.0.0-20170609003504-e2365dfdc4a0 // indirect
 	github.com/jezek/xgb v1.1.1 // indirect
 	github.com/tinne26/etxt v0.0.8 // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 70129b4..91a4650 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ github.com/ebitenui/ebitenui v0.5.6 h1:qyJRU5j+lQo1lamxB48IBwMxMfz1xNb5iWUayCtA0
 github.com/ebitenui/ebitenui v0.5.6/go.mod h1:I0rVbTOUi7gWKTPet2gzbvhOdkHp5pJXMM6c6b3dRoE=
 github.com/ebitenui/ebitenui v0.5.8-0.20240608175527-424f62327b21 h1:dElhYGyf+FYY+makAndUQNOSDwFSFYyFWziPwQrPObY=
 github.com/ebitenui/ebitenui v0.5.8-0.20240608175527-424f62327b21/go.mod h1:I0rVbTOUi7gWKTPet2gzbvhOdkHp5pJXMM6c6b3dRoE=
+github.com/ebitenui/ebitenui v0.5.8-0.20240608230235-27496c28f409 h1:wsPobs+O3ZmZvhtNtmnMkaB1FRM7tuZ60P0/jegRQGg=
+github.com/ebitenui/ebitenui v0.5.8-0.20240608230235-27496c28f409/go.mod h1:I0rVbTOUi7gWKTPet2gzbvhOdkHp5pJXMM6c6b3dRoE=
 github.com/golang/freetype v0.0.0-20170609003504-e2365dfdc4a0 h1:DACJavvAHhabrF08vX0COfcOBJRhZ8lUbR+ZWIs0Y5g=
 github.com/golang/freetype v0.0.0-20170609003504-e2365dfdc4a0/go.mod h1:E/TSTwGwJL78qG/PmXZO1EjYhfJinVAhrmmHX6Z8B9k=
 github.com/hajimehoshi/ebiten/v2 v2.7.4 h1:X+heODRQ3Ie9F9QFjm24gEZqQd5FSfR9XuT2XfHwgf8=
diff --git a/src/game.go b/src/game.go
index e5b229f..ae10651 100644
--- a/src/game.go
+++ b/src/game.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ func NewGame(config *Config, startscene SceneName) *Game {
 	game.Scenes[Menu] = NewMenuScene(game, config)
 	game.Scenes[Options] = NewOptionsScene(game, config)
 	game.Scenes[Keybindings] = NewKeybindingsScene(game, config)
+	game.Scenes[Toolbar] = NewToolbarScene(game, config)
 
 	// setup environment
 	ebiten.SetWindowSize(game.ScreenWidth, game.ScreenHeight)
@@ -67,6 +68,7 @@ func (game *Game) Update() error {
 
 func (game *Game) Draw(screen *ebiten.Image) {
 	// first draw primary scene[s], although there are only 1
+	skip := false
 	for current, scene := range game.Scenes {
 		if scene.IsPrimary() {
 			// primary scenes always draw
@@ -74,11 +76,15 @@ func (game *Game) Draw(screen *ebiten.Image) {
 
 			if current == game.CurrentScene {
 				// avoid to redraw it in the next step
-				return
+				skip = true
 			}
 		}
 	}
 
+	if skip {
+		return
+	}
+
 	scene := game.GetCurrentScene()
 	scene.Draw(screen)
 }
diff --git a/src/play.go b/src/play.go
index 82d6257..0b12496 100644
--- a/src/play.go
+++ b/src/play.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"log"
 	"unsafe"
 
+	uiinput "github.com/ebitenui/ebitenui/input"
 	"github.com/hajimehoshi/ebiten/v2"
 	"github.com/hajimehoshi/ebiten/v2/inpututil"
 	"github.com/hajimehoshi/ebiten/v2/vector"
@@ -424,11 +425,12 @@ func (scene *ScenePlay) Update() error {
 		return quit
 	}
 
-	scene.CheckInput()
-	scene.CheckDrawingInput()
-	scene.CheckDraggingInput()
-	scene.CheckMarkInput()
-
+	if !uiinput.UIActive {
+		scene.CheckInput()
+		scene.CheckDrawingInput()
+		scene.CheckDraggingInput()
+		scene.CheckMarkInput()
+	}
 	if !scene.Config.Paused || scene.RunOneStep {
 		scene.UpdateCells()
 	}
diff --git a/src/scene.go b/src/scene.go
index ac1818c..815c005 100644
--- a/src/scene.go
+++ b/src/scene.go
@@ -25,4 +25,5 @@ const (
 	Play        // actual playing happens here
 	Options
 	Keybindings
+	Toolbar
 )
diff --git a/src/toolbar.go b/src/toolbar.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a8c05aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/toolbar.go
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"image/color"
+	"os"
+
+	"github.com/ebitenui/ebitenui"
+	"github.com/ebitenui/ebitenui/widget"
+	"github.com/hajimehoshi/ebiten/v2"
+	"github.com/hajimehoshi/ebiten/v2/inpututil"
+)
+
+type SceneToolbar struct {
+	Game      *Game
+	Config    *Config
+	Next      SceneName
+	Prev      SceneName
+	Whoami    SceneName
+	Ui        *ebitenui.UI
+	FontColor color.RGBA
+}
+
+func NewToolbarScene(game *Game, config *Config) Scene {
+	scene := &SceneToolbar{
+		Whoami:    Toolbar,
+		Game:      game,
+		Next:      Toolbar,
+		Config:    config,
+		FontColor: color.RGBA{255, 30, 30, 0xff},
+	}
+
+	scene.Init()
+
+	return scene
+}
+
+func (scene *SceneToolbar) GetNext() SceneName {
+	return scene.Next
+}
+
+func (scene *SceneToolbar) SetPrevious(prev SceneName) {
+	scene.Prev = prev
+}
+
+func (scene *SceneToolbar) ResetNext() {
+	scene.Next = scene.Whoami
+}
+
+func (scene *SceneToolbar) SetNext(next SceneName) {
+	scene.Next = next
+}
+
+func (scene *SceneToolbar) IsPrimary() bool {
+	return true
+}
+
+func (scene *SceneToolbar) Update() error {
+	scene.Ui.Update()
+
+	if inpututil.IsKeyJustPressed(ebiten.KeyEscape) || inpututil.IsKeyJustPressed(ebiten.KeyQ) {
+		scene.SetNext(Play)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+
+}
+
+func (scene *SceneToolbar) Draw(screen *ebiten.Image) {
+	scene.Ui.Draw(screen)
+}
+
+func (scene *SceneToolbar) SetInitialValue(w *widget.LabeledCheckbox, value bool) {
+	if value {
+		w.SetState(
+			widget.WidgetChecked,
+		)
+	}
+}
+
+func (scene *SceneToolbar) Init() {
+	rowContainer := NewTopRowContainer("Toolbar")
+
+	cancel := NewMenuButton("Close",
+		func(args *widget.ButtonClickedEventArgs) {
+			os.Exit(0)
+		})
+
+	rowContainer.AddChild(cancel)
+
+	scene.Ui = &ebitenui.UI{
+		Container: rowContainer.Container(),
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/src/widgets.go b/src/widgets.go
index e27a4c8..7c4ab37 100644
--- a/src/widgets.go
+++ b/src/widgets.go
@@ -215,6 +215,37 @@ func (container *RowContainer) Container() *widget.Container {
 	return container.Root
 }
 
+// setup a top level toolbar container
+func NewTopRowContainer(title string) *RowContainer {
+	buttonImageHover := image.NewNineSlice(Assets["button-9slice3"], [3]int{3, 3, 3}, [3]int{3, 3, 3})
+
+	uiContainer := widget.NewContainer(
+		widget.ContainerOpts.Layout(widget.NewAnchorLayout()),
+	)
+
+	rowContainer := widget.NewContainer(
+		widget.ContainerOpts.WidgetOpts(
+			widget.WidgetOpts.LayoutData(widget.AnchorLayoutData{
+				HorizontalPosition: widget.AnchorLayoutPositionStart,
+				VerticalPosition:   widget.AnchorLayoutPositionStart,
+			}),
+		),
+		widget.ContainerOpts.Layout(widget.NewRowLayout(
+			widget.RowLayoutOpts.Direction(widget.DirectionVertical),
+			widget.RowLayoutOpts.Padding(widget.NewInsetsSimple(8)),
+			widget.RowLayoutOpts.Spacing(0),
+		)),
+		widget.ContainerOpts.BackgroundImage(buttonImageHover),
+	)
+
+	uiContainer.AddChild(rowContainer)
+
+	return &RowContainer{
+		Root: uiContainer,
+		Row:  rowContainer,
+	}
+}
+
 // set arg to false if no background needed
 func NewRowContainer(title string) *RowContainer {
 	buttonImageHover := image.NewNineSlice(Assets["button-9slice3"], [3]int{3, 3, 3}, [3]int{3, 3, 3})