diff --git a/assets/loader-sprites.go b/assets/loader-sprites.go
index 9a4fa94..4cc2d41 100644
--- a/assets/loader-sprites.go
+++ b/assets/loader-sprites.go
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ type AnimationGeo struct {
 
 type AnimationFrame struct {
 	Position AnimationGeo `json:"frame"`
-	// FIXME: maybe also add delay etc? might be cool to tweak these things from LDTK
+	Duration int
 }
 
 type AnimationMeta struct {
diff --git a/assets/sprites/backgroundstars-animated.json b/assets/sprites/backgroundstars-animated.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e0b72c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/assets/sprites/backgroundstars-animated.json
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+{ "frames": [
+   {
+    "filename": "backgroundstars 0.ase",
+    "frame": { "x": 0, "y": 0, "w": 640, "h": 384 },
+    "rotated": false,
+    "trimmed": false,
+    "spriteSourceSize": { "x": 0, "y": 0, "w": 640, "h": 384 },
+    "sourceSize": { "w": 640, "h": 384 },
+    "duration": 500
+   },
+   {
+    "filename": "backgroundstars 1.ase",
+    "frame": { "x": 640, "y": 0, "w": 640, "h": 384 },
+    "rotated": false,
+    "trimmed": false,
+    "spriteSourceSize": { "x": 0, "y": 0, "w": 640, "h": 384 },
+    "sourceSize": { "w": 640, "h": 384 },
+    "duration": 100
+   },
+   {
+    "filename": "backgroundstars 2.ase",
+    "frame": { "x": 1280, "y": 0, "w": 640, "h": 384 },
+    "rotated": false,
+    "trimmed": false,
+    "spriteSourceSize": { "x": 0, "y": 0, "w": 640, "h": 384 },
+    "sourceSize": { "w": 640, "h": 384 },
+    "duration": 500
+   },
+   {
+    "filename": "backgroundstars 3.ase",
+    "frame": { "x": 1920, "y": 0, "w": 640, "h": 384 },
+    "rotated": false,
+    "trimmed": false,
+    "spriteSourceSize": { "x": 0, "y": 0, "w": 640, "h": 384 },
+    "sourceSize": { "w": 640, "h": 384 },
+    "duration": 100
+   },
+   {
+    "filename": "backgroundstars 4.ase",
+    "frame": { "x": 2560, "y": 0, "w": 640, "h": 384 },
+    "rotated": false,
+    "trimmed": false,
+    "spriteSourceSize": { "x": 0, "y": 0, "w": 640, "h": 384 },
+    "sourceSize": { "w": 640, "h": 384 },
+    "duration": 500
+   },
+   {
+    "filename": "backgroundstars 5.ase",
+    "frame": { "x": 3200, "y": 0, "w": 640, "h": 384 },
+    "rotated": false,
+    "trimmed": false,
+    "spriteSourceSize": { "x": 0, "y": 0, "w": 640, "h": 384 },
+    "sourceSize": { "w": 640, "h": 384 },
+    "duration": 100
+   }
+ ],
+ "meta": {
+  "app": "http://www.aseprite.org/",
+  "version": "1.x-dev",
+  "image": "backgroundstars-animated.png",
+  "format": "RGBA8888",
+  "size": { "w": 3840, "h": 384 },
+  "scale": "1",
+  "frameTags": [
+  ],
+  "layers": [
+   { "name": "Layer", "opacity": 255, "blendMode": "normal" }
+  ],
+  "slices": [
+  ]
+ }
+}
diff --git a/assets/sprites/backgroundstars-animated.png b/assets/sprites/backgroundstars-animated.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b966d1b
Binary files /dev/null and b/assets/sprites/backgroundstars-animated.png differ
diff --git a/assets/sprites/backgroundstars.gif b/assets/sprites/backgroundstars.gif
deleted file mode 100644
index 26148a5..0000000
Binary files a/assets/sprites/backgroundstars.gif and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/game/levels.go b/game/levels.go
index a43c87b..c1b49cf 100644
--- a/game/levels.go
+++ b/game/levels.go
@@ -37,10 +37,11 @@ func NewLevel(game *Game, cellsize int, plan *ldtkgo.Level) *Level {
 	systemlist := []systems.System{}
 
 	gridcontainer := &grid.GridContainer{}
+	bgimage := util.GetBGImage(plan)
 
 	systemlist = append(systemlist,
 		systems.NewGridSystem(game.World, game.ScreenWidth, game.ScreenHeight, cellsize,
-			assets.Assets[util.GetBGImage(plan)]))
+			bgimage))
 
 	systemlist = append(systemlist, systems.NewCollectibleSystem(game.World, cellsize))
 
diff --git a/systems/grid_system.go b/systems/grid_system.go
index 0ba0c80..b2afe10 100644
--- a/systems/grid_system.go
+++ b/systems/grid_system.go
@@ -1,7 +1,14 @@
 package systems
 
 import (
+	"log/slog"
+	"openquell/assets"
+	"openquell/components"
 	. "openquell/components"
+	"openquell/config"
+	"openquell/util"
+
+	"log"
 
 	"github.com/hajimehoshi/ebiten/v2"
 	"github.com/mlange-42/arche/ecs"
@@ -15,14 +22,20 @@ type GridSystem struct {
 	Cache                   *ebiten.Image
 	Count                   int // register tile count, invalidates cache
 	Background              *ebiten.Image
+	Animate                 components.Animation
+	BackgroundAnimated      bool
 	Width, Height, Tilesize int
 }
 
 func NewGridSystem(world *ecs.World, width, height,
-	tilesize int, background *ebiten.Image) System {
+	tilesize int, background string) System {
 
 	cache := ebiten.NewImage(width, height)
 
+	if !util.Exists(assets.Assets, background) {
+		log.Fatalf("no background %s in assets", background)
+	}
+
 	system := &GridSystem{
 		Selector:   generic.NewFilter3[Renderable, Position, Solid](),
 		UseCache:   false,
@@ -30,14 +43,46 @@ func NewGridSystem(world *ecs.World, width, height,
 		Width:      width,
 		Height:     height,
 		Tilesize:   tilesize,
-		Background: background,
+		Background: assets.Assets[background],
 		World:      world,
 	}
 
+	if util.Exists(assets.Animations, background+"-animated") {
+		system.BackgroundAnimated = true
+
+		system.Animate = components.Animation{
+			Active: true,
+			Loop:   true,
+			Tiles:  assets.Animations[background+"-animated"].Sprites,
+		}
+
+		system.Animate.Timer.Start(config.ANIMATION_LOOPWAIT)
+	}
+
 	return system
 }
 
 func (system *GridSystem) Update() error {
+	if system.BackgroundAnimated {
+		slog.Debug("animate bg?", "timer", system.Animate.Timer)
+		if system.Animate.Timer.IsReady() {
+			switch {
+			// animation shows from earlier tick, animate
+			case system.Animate.Index > -1 && system.Animate.Index < len(system.Animate.Tiles)-1:
+				system.Animate.Index += 1
+				system.Animate.Timer.Start(config.ANIMATION_LOOPWAIT)
+			default:
+				// last sprite reached
+				if system.Animate.Loop {
+					system.Animate.Index = 0
+				}
+			}
+		} else {
+			system.Animate.Timer.Update()
+		}
+
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -45,9 +90,13 @@ func (system *GridSystem) Draw(screen *ebiten.Image) {
 	op := &ebiten.DrawImageOptions{}
 	query := system.Selector.Query(system.World)
 
-	if !system.UseCache || query.Count() != system.Count {
+	if !system.UseCache || query.Count() != system.Count || system.BackgroundAnimated {
 		// map not cached or cacheable, write it to the cache
-		system.Cache.DrawImage(system.Background, op)
+		if system.BackgroundAnimated {
+			system.Cache.DrawImage(system.Animate.Tiles[system.Animate.Index], op)
+		} else {
+			system.Cache.DrawImage(system.Background, op)
+		}
 
 		system.Count = query.Count()
 		counter := 0