diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 3958e8f..475ee01 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -196,50 +196,67 @@ function(link_deps target)
 endfunction()
 
 
-function(use_townengine target sources output_directory)
+function(use_townengine target sources output_directory data_dir)
         if (TOWNENGINE_HOT_RELOAD)
-                add_library(${target}_shared SHARED ${sources})
-                set_target_properties(${target}_shared PROPERTIES
-                                                       OUTPUT_NAME game
-                                                       LIBRARY_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${output_directory})
-                give_options(${target}_shared)
-                include_deps(${target}_shared)
-                target_link_libraries(${target}_shared PUBLIC SDL2::SDL2)
-                add_executable(${target} ${TOWNENGINE_DIR}/townengine/null.c)
-                                set_target_properties(${target}_shared PROPERTIES
-                                                       OUTPUT_NAME game
-                                                       LIBRARY_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${output_directory})
+                # game shared library, for reloading
+                add_library(${target}_game SHARED ${sources})
+                set_target_properties(${target}_game PROPERTIES
+                                                     OUTPUT_NAME game
+                                                     LIBRARY_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${output_directory})
+                give_options(${target}_game)
+                include_deps(${target}_game)
+                target_link_libraries(${target}_game PUBLIC SDL2::SDL2)
+
+                # launcher binary, loads game and engine shared library
+                add_executable(${target}_app ${TOWNENGINE_DIR}/townengine/null.c)
+                set_target_properties(${target}_app PROPERTIES
+                                                    OUTPUT_NAME launcher
+                                                    LIBRARY_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${output_directory})
+
+                # put libtownengine.so alongside the binary
                 set_target_properties(${TOWNENGINE_TARGET} PROPERTIES
-                                                       LIBRARY_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${output_directory})
+                                                           LIBRARY_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${output_directory})
         else ()
-                add_executable(${target} ${sources})
+                add_executable(${target}_app ${sources})
         endif ()
 
         # system libraries
         find_library(MATH_LIBRARY m)
         if (MATH_LIBRARY)
-                target_link_libraries(${target} PUBLIC ${MATH_LIBRARY})
+                target_link_libraries(${target}_app PUBLIC ${MATH_LIBRARY})
         endif ()
 
-        give_options(${target})
-        include_deps(${target})
-        link_deps(${target})
-        target_link_libraries(${target} PUBLIC ${TOWNENGINE_TARGET})
-
-        set_target_properties(${target} PROPERTIES
+        give_options(${target}_app)
+        include_deps(${target}_app)
+        link_deps(${target}_app)
+        target_link_libraries(${target}_app PUBLIC ${TOWNENGINE_TARGET})
+        set_target_properties(${target}_app PROPERTIES
                                         RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${output_directory})
 
         # copy dlls for baby windows
-        add_custom_command(TARGET ${target} POST_BUILD
-                COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E copy -t $<TARGET_FILE_DIR:${target}>
-                                                    $<TARGET_RUNTIME_DLLS:${target}>
+        add_custom_command(TARGET ${target}_app POST_BUILD
+                COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E copy -t $<TARGET_FILE_DIR:${target}_app>
+                                                    $<TARGET_RUNTIME_DLLS:${target}_app>
                 COMMAND_EXPAND_LISTS)
+
+        if (UNIX)
+                # create a bootstrapping script
+                string(JOIN "\n" TOWNENGINE_BOOTSTRAP
+                                 "#!/bin/env sh"
+                                 "cd \"$(dirname \"$0\")\""
+                                 "./launcher --data-dir ${data_dir}")
+
+                FILE(GENERATE OUTPUT ${output_directory}/${target}
+                     CONTENT "${TOWNENGINE_BOOTSTRAP}"
+                     FILE_PERMISSIONS OWNER_EXECUTE OWNER_WRITE OWNER_READ)
+        endif ()
 endfunction()
 
 give_options(${TOWNENGINE_TARGET})
 include_deps(${TOWNENGINE_TARGET})
 link_deps(${TOWNENGINE_TARGET})
 
+# build the testgame if this cmake list is built directly
 if (${CMAKE_PROJECT_NAME} MATCHES townengine)
         add_subdirectory(apps/testgame)
 endif ()
diff --git a/apps/template/CMakeLists.txt b/apps/template/CMakeLists.txt
index eb299c9..3a34666 100644
--- a/apps/template/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/apps/template/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -16,4 +16,4 @@ set(SOURCE_FILES
         state.h
 )
 
-use_townengine(${PROJECT_NAME} "${SOURCE_FILES}" ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR})
+use_townengine(${PROJECT_NAME} "${SOURCE_FILES}" ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR} ../../data)
diff --git a/apps/testgame/CMakeLists.txt b/apps/testgame/CMakeLists.txt
index 59e2170..39a162d 100644
--- a/apps/testgame/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/apps/testgame/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -23,4 +23,4 @@ set(SOURCE_FILES
         scenes/ingame.c scenes/ingame.h
 )
 
-use_townengine(${PROJECT_NAME} "${SOURCE_FILES}" ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR})
+use_townengine(${PROJECT_NAME} "${SOURCE_FILES}" ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR} ../../data)