diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 1e672bd..93ae628 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ set(TWN_ROOT_DIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR} CACHE INTERNAL "")
 
 # feature configuration, set them with -DFEATURE=ON/OFF in cli
 option(TWN_FEATURE_DYNLIB_GAME  "Enable dynamic library loading support" ON)
-option(TWN_ARCHIVE_DATA         "Enable archival of assets"              OFF)
 
 # todo: figure out how to compile for dynamic linking instead
 if(EMSCRIPTEN)
@@ -250,7 +249,7 @@ function(link_deps target)
 endfunction()
 
 
-function(use_townengine target sources output_directory data_dir)
+function(use_townengine target sources output_directory)
         if(TWN_FEATURE_DYNLIB_GAME)
                 # game shared library, for reloading
                 add_library(${target}_game SHARED ${sources})
@@ -305,13 +304,6 @@ function(use_townengine target sources output_directory data_dir)
                                                                                  $<TARGET_FILE_DIR:${target}_app>
                                    COMMAND_EXPAND_LISTS)
         endif()
-
-        if (TWN_ARCHIVE_DATA)
-                # zip up assets
-                add_custom_target(archive-data ALL
-                                  COMMAND cd ${data_dir} && ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E tar "cf" ${output_directory}/data.${PACKAGE_EXTENSION} --format=zip ./
-                                  WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR})
-        endif()
 endfunction()
 
 give_options_without_warnings(twn_third_parties)
diff --git a/apps/platformer/CMakeLists.txt b/apps/platformer/CMakeLists.txt
index 056b6d4..731abec 100644
--- a/apps/platformer/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/apps/platformer/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -20,4 +20,4 @@ set(SOURCE_FILES
         scenes/ingame.c scenes/ingame.h
 )
 
-use_townengine(${PROJECT_NAME} "${SOURCE_FILES}" ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR} ../../common-data)
+use_townengine(${PROJECT_NAME} "${SOURCE_FILES}" ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR})
diff --git a/apps/scenery/CMakeLists.txt b/apps/scenery/CMakeLists.txt
index a3a6f60..8e89f40 100644
--- a/apps/scenery/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/apps/scenery/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -17,4 +17,4 @@ set(SOURCE_FILES
         scenes/ingame.c scenes/ingame.h
 )
 
-use_townengine(${PROJECT_NAME} "${SOURCE_FILES}" ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR} ../../common-data)
+use_townengine(${PROJECT_NAME} "${SOURCE_FILES}" ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR})
diff --git a/apps/template/CMakeLists.txt b/apps/template/CMakeLists.txt
index 25f8ecf..a3f68ce 100644
--- a/apps/template/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/apps/template/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -13,4 +13,4 @@ set(SOURCE_FILES
         state.h
 )
 
-use_townengine(${PROJECT_NAME} "${SOURCE_FILES}" ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR} ../../common-data)
+use_townengine(${PROJECT_NAME} "${SOURCE_FILES}" ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR})
diff --git a/apps/twnlua/CMakeLists.txt b/apps/twnlua/CMakeLists.txt
index 933f577..01dec8f 100644
--- a/apps/twnlua/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/apps/twnlua/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -74,4 +74,4 @@ set(SOURCE_FILES
 )
 
 
-use_townengine(${PROJECT_NAME} "${SOURCE_FILES}" ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR} ../../data)
+use_townengine(${PROJECT_NAME} "${SOURCE_FILES}" ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR})