diff --git a/button_2/blackboard.qmd b/button_2/blackboard.qmd
index b45d537..5bc619d 100644
--- a/button_2/blackboard.qmd
+++ b/button_2/blackboard.qmd
@@ -76,3 +76,14 @@ This is where I apply wrappers.
 employee_text_rendered.rendered_text
 
 ```
+
+
+## 
+
+
+```{python}
+from classes.game.node_engine import NodeEngine
+
+node_engine = NodeEngine()
+
+```
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/button_2/blackboard_node_logic.py b/button_2/blackboard_node_logic.py
index bcdf419..4e768b5 100644
--- a/button_2/blackboard_node_logic.py
+++ b/button_2/blackboard_node_logic.py
@@ -1,27 +1 @@
-# this script is for sketching the node engine logic
-
-
-# this would be done in the game engine
-
-from classes.game.node_context import NodeContext
-from classes.entities.employee import Employee
-from classes.data.button_dat import ButtonDat
-
-button_dat = ButtonDat()
-
-# aha so I can refactor this to be generated by the context?
-employee = Employee(button_dat.employee_df.iloc[0]['job_title'],
-                    button_dat.employee_df.iloc[0]['department'])
-
-context = NodeContext(employee=employee)
-
-
-# node engine logic
-from classes.text_gen.textgen_employee import EmployeeTextGenerator
-
-# todo node title
-
-employee.set_current_titles()
-
-employee_text_gen = EmployeeTextGenerator()
-print(employee_text_gen.generate_text(context))
+# 
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/button_2/classes/game/edge_selector.py b/button_2/classes/game/edge_selector.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5a5469d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/button_2/classes/game/edge_selector.py
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+from ..data.button_dat import ButtonDat
+from ..entities.employee import Employee
+
+class EdgeSelector:
+    def __init__(self, button_dat: ButtonDat, employee: Employee, current_node=None):
+        self.button_dat = button_dat
+        self.employee = employee
+        self.current_node = current_node
+        self.next_edge = None
+
+    def set_current_node(self, node):
+        self.current_node = node
+        self.next_edge = None
+
+    def select_next_edge(self):
+        if self.current_node is None:
+            raise ValueError("Current node is not set.")
+        
+        # Logic to select the next edge
+        connections = self.button_dat.edges_df[
+            self.button_dat.edges_df['source'] == self.current_node
+        ]
+
+        # perhaps I need an edge id to refer to here
+        if not connections.empty:
+            self.next_edge = connections.target.iloc[0]
+        else:
+            self.next_edge = None
diff --git a/button_2/classes/game/node_engine.py b/button_2/classes/game/node_engine.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5a678ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/button_2/classes/game/node_engine.py
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+from ..data.button_dat import ButtonDat
+from ..entities.employee import Employee
+from ..game.edge_selector import EdgeSelector
+
+class NodeEngine:
+    def __init__(
+        self, button_dat: ButtonDat, employee: Employee
+    ):
+        self.button_dat = button_dat
+        self.employee = employee
+        self.current_node = button_dat.nodes_df.node.iloc[0]
+        self.next_edge = None
+        self.edge_selector = EdgeSelector(
+            button_dat, employee, self.current_node
+            )
+
+    def select_next_edge(self):
+        self.edge_selector.set_current_node(self.current_node)
+        self.edge_selector.select_next_edge()
+        self.next_edge = self.edge_selector.next_edge
diff --git a/button_2/tests/data/test_button_dat.py b/button_2/tests/data/test_button_dat.py
index 34aa6ce..2c73e9b 100644
--- a/button_2/tests/data/test_button_dat.py
+++ b/button_2/tests/data/test_button_dat.py
@@ -14,4 +14,10 @@ def test_button_dat_initialisation():
     assert not game_data.edges_df.empty, "Edges DataFrame should not be empty"
     assert not game_data.nodes_df.empty, "Nodes DataFrame should not be empty"
     assert not game_data.text_df.empty, "Text DataFrame should not be empty"
-    assert not game_data.employee_df.empty, "Employee DataFrame should not be empty"
\ No newline at end of file
+    assert not game_data.employee_df.empty, "Employee DataFrame should not be empty"
+
+    # Test edges has expected columns
+    expected_edge_columns = {'source', 'target', 'outro_text', 'desired'}
+    assert set(game_data.edges_df.columns) == expected_edge_columns, (
+        "Edges DataFrame has unexpected columns"
+    )
diff --git a/button_2/tests/game/test_edge_selector.py b/button_2/tests/game/test_edge_selector.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/button_2/tests/game/test_node_engine.py b/button_2/tests/game/test_node_engine.py
index e4b4166..045187e 100644
--- a/button_2/tests/game/test_node_engine.py
+++ b/button_2/tests/game/test_node_engine.py
@@ -1,8 +1,13 @@
-from classes.data.button_dat import ButtonDat
-from classes.entities.employee import Employee
+import pytest
+from button_2.classes.data.button_dat import ButtonDat
+from button_2.classes.entities.employee import Employee
+from button_2.classes.game.node_engine import NodeEngine
 
-button_dat = ButtonDat()
-employee = Employee(button_dat)
+@pytest.fixture
+def node_engine():
+    button_dat = ButtonDat()
+    employee = Employee(button_dat)
+    return NodeEngine(button_dat, employee)
 
 def test_node_engine_attributes(node_engine):
     assert hasattr(node_engine, 'button_dat')
@@ -12,10 +17,9 @@ def test_node_engine_attributes(node_engine):
 
 def test_node_engine_methods(node_engine):
     assert callable(node_engine.select_next_edge)
-    # assert that next edge attribute is unset at init
     assert node_engine.next_edge is None
-    # assert that select_next_edge sets next_edge
     node_engine.select_next_edge()
     assert node_engine.next_edge is not None
-    # assert that next_edge is in button_dat.nodes_df.nodes
-    assert node_engine.next_edge in button_dat.nodes_df.nodes
+    assert node_engine.next_edge in (
+        node_engine.button_dat.nodes_df.node.tolist()
+    )
\ No newline at end of file