diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index d8a8932..91d2a10 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -75,3 +75,4 @@ saves/
 scores/
 *.sav
 *.score
+_codeql_detected_source_root
diff --git a/tetris/assets/textures/blocks b/tetris/assets/textures/blocks
index 2dd4142..e575eca 100644
--- a/tetris/assets/textures/blocks
+++ b/tetris/assets/textures/blocks
@@ -1 +1 @@
-■
\ No newline at end of file
+■,■,■,■,■,■,■
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tetris/include/game/tetromino.h b/tetris/include/game/tetromino.h
index e7c0738..fb2cb59 100644
--- a/tetris/include/game/tetromino.h
+++ b/tetris/include/game/tetromino.h
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 #include <core/coords.h>
 
+#include <array>
 #include <cstdint>
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
@@ -23,6 +24,9 @@ enum Shape : std::uint8_t
     I
 };
 
+// Colored blocks loaded from assets/textures/blocks, indexed by Shape enum
+extern const std::array<std::string, 7> coloredBlocks;
+
 class Tetromino
 {
   public:
diff --git a/tetris/src/game/board.cc b/tetris/src/game/board.cc
index e33030b..5ac10e5 100644
--- a/tetris/src/game/board.cc
+++ b/tetris/src/game/board.cc
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@ void Board::lockPiece(Tetromino& piece)
         {
             for (auto col = piece.x.begin; col <= piece.x.end; ++col)
             {
-                if (piece.matrix[row - piece.y.begin][col - piece.x.begin] ==
-                    "■")
+                if (piece.matrix[row - piece.y.begin][col - piece.x.begin] !=
+                    " ")
                 {
                     if (coords.x == col && coords.y == row)
                     {
@@ -79,10 +79,11 @@ void Board::lockPiece(Tetromino& piece)
         {
             for (auto col = piece.x.begin; col <= piece.x.end; ++col)
             {
-                if (piece.matrix[row - piece.y.begin][col - piece.x.begin] ==
-                    "■")
+                if (piece.matrix[row - piece.y.begin][col - piece.x.begin] !=
+                    " ")
                 {
-                    grid[row][col] = "■";
+                    grid[row][col] =
+                        piece.matrix[row - piece.y.begin][col - piece.x.begin];
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -96,7 +97,7 @@ void Board::gameOver(bool& running)
 {
     for (std::uint16_t col = 0; col < Board::bounds.RIGHT; ++col)
     {
-        if (grid[0][col] == "■")
+        if (grid[0][col] != " ")
         {
             running = false;
             break;
@@ -113,7 +114,7 @@ void Board::calculateBaseline(Tetromino& piece)
     {
         for (auto col = piece.x.begin; col <= piece.x.end; ++col)
         {
-            if (piece.matrix[row - piece.y.begin][col - piece.x.begin] == "■")
+            if (piece.matrix[row - piece.y.begin][col - piece.x.begin] != " ")
             {
                 std::int16_t r = row + 1;
                 baseline.push_back({col, r});
@@ -149,7 +150,7 @@ void Board::render(Tetromino& piece)
             {
                 int y = row - piece.y.begin;
                 int x = col - piece.x.begin;
-                if (piece.matrix[y][x] == "■") cell = "■";
+                if (piece.matrix[y][x] != " ") cell = piece.matrix[y][x];
             }
 
             std::cout << cell;
diff --git a/tetris/src/game/tetromino.cc b/tetris/src/game/tetromino.cc
index 3e7b10e..bf4ccea 100644
--- a/tetris/src/game/tetromino.cc
+++ b/tetris/src/game/tetromino.cc
@@ -1,44 +1,64 @@
 #include <cstdint>
+#include <fstream>
+#include <sstream>
 #include <unordered_map>
 
 #include "core/rng.h"
 #include "game/board.h"
 #include "game/tetromino.h"
 
+static std::array<std::string, 7> loadBlocks()
+{
+    std::array<std::string, 7> blocks;
+    std::ifstream file("tetris/assets/textures/blocks");
+    if (!file.is_open()) return blocks;
+
+    std::string content((std::istreambuf_iterator<char>(file)),
+                        std::istreambuf_iterator<char>());
+    std::stringstream ss(content);
+    std::string token;
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < 7 && std::getline(ss, token, ','); ++i)
+        blocks[i] = token;
+
+    return blocks;
+}
+
+const std::array<std::string, 7> coloredBlocks = loadBlocks();
+
 std::unordered_map<Shape, matrix_t> shapes{
     {Shape::L,
-     {{{" ", " ", "■", " "},
-       {"■", "■", "■", " "},
+     {{{" ", " ", coloredBlocks[L], " "},
+       {coloredBlocks[L], coloredBlocks[L], coloredBlocks[L], " "},
        {" ", " ", " ", " "},
        {" ", " ", " ", " "}}}},
     {Shape::T,
-     {{{" ", "■", " ", " "},
-       {"■", "■", "■", " "},
+     {{{" ", coloredBlocks[T], " ", " "},
+       {coloredBlocks[T], coloredBlocks[T], coloredBlocks[T], " "},
        {" ", " ", " ", " "},
        {" ", " ", " ", " "}}}},
     {Shape::J,
-     {{{"■", " ", " ", " "},
-       {"■", "■", "■", " "},
+     {{{coloredBlocks[J], " ", " ", " "},
+       {coloredBlocks[J], coloredBlocks[J], coloredBlocks[J], " "},
        {" ", " ", " ", " "},
        {" ", " ", " ", " "}}}},
     {Shape::S,
-     {{{" ", "■", "■", " "},
-       {"■", "■", " ", " "},
+     {{{" ", coloredBlocks[S], coloredBlocks[S], " "},
+       {coloredBlocks[S], coloredBlocks[S], " ", " "},
        {" ", " ", " ", " "},
        {" ", " ", " ", " "}}}},
     {Shape::Z,
-     {{{"■", "■", " ", " "},
-       {" ", "■", "■", " "},
+     {{{coloredBlocks[Z], coloredBlocks[Z], " ", " "},
+       {" ", coloredBlocks[Z], coloredBlocks[Z], " "},
        {" ", " ", " ", " "},
        {" ", " ", " ", " "}}}},
     {Shape::O,
-     {{{"■", "■", " ", " "},
-       {"■", "■", " ", " "},
+     {{{coloredBlocks[O], coloredBlocks[O], " ", " "},
+       {coloredBlocks[O], coloredBlocks[O], " ", " "},
        {" ", " ", " ", " "},
        {" ", " ", " ", " "}}}},
     {Shape::I,
      {{{" ", " ", " ", " "},
-       {"■", "■", "■", "■"},
+       {coloredBlocks[I], coloredBlocks[I], coloredBlocks[I], coloredBlocks[I]},
        {" ", " ", " ", " "},
        {" ", " ", " ", " "}}}},
 };
@@ -137,7 +157,7 @@ void Tetromino::rotate(const std::vector<Coords>& baseline, bool clockwise)
     {
         int row        = 1 - offsetY; // invert y-axis for correct rotation
         int col        = offsetX + 1; // shift x-axis to fit in 3x3 grid
-        grid[row][col] = "■";
+        grid[row][col] = coloredBlocks[shapeType];
     }
 
     matrix = grid;