diff --git a/Blarg.GameFramework/Blarg.GameFramework.csproj b/Blarg.GameFramework/Blarg.GameFramework.csproj
index 5385b18..a2c894a 100644
--- a/Blarg.GameFramework/Blarg.GameFramework.csproj
+++ b/Blarg.GameFramework/Blarg.GameFramework.csproj
@@ -195,6 +195,7 @@
     <Compile Include="ServiceLocatorException.cs" />
     <Compile Include="ConfigFileException.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Content\ContentManagementException.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="TileMap\Tile.cs" />
   </ItemGroup>
   <Import Project="$(MSBuildExtensionsPath32)\Microsoft\Portable\$(TargetFrameworkVersion)\Microsoft.Portable.CSharp.targets" />
   <ItemGroup>
@@ -219,6 +220,7 @@
     <Folder Include="Content\Types\" />
     <Folder Include="UI\" />
     <Folder Include="Graphics\Atlas\" />
+    <Folder Include="TileMap\" />
   </ItemGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <EmbeddedResource Include="Resources\Fonts\Vera.ttf" />
diff --git a/Blarg.GameFramework/Math/MathHelpers.cs b/Blarg.GameFramework/Math/MathHelpers.cs
index f35cb6c..7e2d64f 100644
--- a/Blarg.GameFramework/Math/MathHelpers.cs
+++ b/Blarg.GameFramework/Math/MathHelpers.cs
@@ -302,6 +302,33 @@ namespace Blarg.GameFramework
 			return temp;
 		}
 
+		/// <summary>
+		/// Clamps a value to a given range, but if the value is outside the range
+		/// instead of returning the low/high end of the range, this will continue
+		/// counting after moving to the opposite end of the range to arrive at a
+		/// final value.
+		/// </summary>
+		/// <returns>the clamped value</returns>
+		/// <param name="value">the value to be clamped</param>
+		/// <param name="low">the low end of the range to clamp to</param>
+		/// <param name="high">the high end of the range to clamp to</param>
+		public static int RolloverClamp(int value, int low, int high)
+		{
+			int temp = value;
+			// TODO: this is really shitty... make it better
+			do
+			{
+				int range = Math.Abs(high - low);
+				if (temp < low)
+					temp = temp + range;
+				if (value > high)
+					temp = temp - range;
+			}
+			while (temp < low || temp > high); // loop through as many times as necessary to put the value within the low/high range
+
+			return temp;
+		}
+
 		/// <summary>
 		/// Re-scales a given value from an old min/max range to a new and
 		/// different min/max range such that the value is approximately
diff --git a/Blarg.GameFramework/TileMap/Tile.cs b/Blarg.GameFramework/TileMap/Tile.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c324757
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Blarg.GameFramework/TileMap/Tile.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,256 @@
+using System;
+using Blarg.GameFramework.Graphics;
+using Blarg.GameFramework.Support;
+
+namespace Blarg.GameFramework.TileMap
+{
+	public class Tile
+	{
+		static readonly Matrix4x4 FaceNorthRotation = Matrix4x4.CreateRotationY(MathConstants.Radians0);
+		static readonly Matrix4x4 FaceEastRotation = Matrix4x4.CreateRotationY(MathConstants.Radians90);
+		static readonly Matrix4x4 FaceSouthRotation = Matrix4x4.CreateRotationY(MathConstants.Radians180);
+		static readonly Matrix4x4 FaceWestRotation = Matrix4x4.CreateRotationY(MathConstants.Radians270);
+
+		public const byte ROTATION_0 = 0;
+		public const byte ROTATION_90 = 1;
+		public const byte ROTATION_180 = 2;
+		public const byte ROTATION_270 = 3;
+
+		public const short NO_TILE = 0;
+
+		public const byte LIGHT_VALUE_MAX = 15;
+		public const byte LIGHT_VALUE_SKY = LIGHT_VALUE_MAX;
+
+		public const short FLAG_COLLIDEABLE = 1;
+		public const short FLAG_ROTATED = 2;
+		public const short FLAG_LARGE_TILE = 4;
+		public const short FLAG_LARGE_TILE_OWNER = 8;
+		public const short FLAG_CUSTOM_COLOR = 16;
+		public const short FLAG_FRICTION_SLIPPERY = 32;
+		public const short FLAG_LIGHT_SKY = 64;
+		public const short FLAG_WALKABLE_SURFACE = 128;
+
+		public short TileIndex;
+		public short Flags;
+		public byte TileLight;
+		public byte SkyLight;
+		public byte Rotation;
+		public byte ParentTileOffsetX;
+		public byte ParentTileOffsetY;
+		public byte ParentTileOffsetZ;
+		public byte ParentTileWidth;
+		public byte ParentTileHeight;
+		public byte ParentTileDepth;
+		public int Color;
+
+		public float Brightness
+		{
+			get
+			{
+				if (TileLight > SkyLight)
+					return GetBrightness(TileLight);
+				else
+					return GetBrightness(SkyLight);
+			}
+		}
+
+		public float RotationAngle
+		{
+			get
+			{
+				if (Rotation < 0 || Rotation > 3)
+					return 0.0f;
+				else
+					return Rotation * MathConstants.Radians90;
+			}
+		}
+
+		public bool IsEmptySpace
+		{
+			get { return TileIndex == NO_TILE; }
+		}
+
+		public bool IsCollideable
+		{
+			get { return Flags.IsBitSet(FLAG_COLLIDEABLE); }
+		}
+
+		public bool HasCustomColor
+		{
+			get { return Flags.IsBitSet(FLAG_CUSTOM_COLOR); }
+		}
+
+		public bool IsSlippery
+		{
+			get { return Flags.IsBitSet(FLAG_FRICTION_SLIPPERY); }
+		}
+
+		public bool IsSkyLit
+		{
+			get { return Flags.IsBitSet(FLAG_LIGHT_SKY); }
+		}
+
+		public bool IsRotated
+		{
+			get { return Flags.IsBitSet(FLAG_ROTATED); }
+		}
+
+		public bool IsLargeTile
+		{
+			get { return Flags.IsBitSet(FLAG_LARGE_TILE); }
+		}
+
+		public bool IsLargeTileRoot
+		{
+			get { return Flags.IsBitSet(FLAG_LARGE_TILE_OWNER); }
+		}
+
+		public Tile()
+		{
+			TileIndex = NO_TILE;
+		}
+
+		public Tile Set(short tileIndex)
+		{
+			TileIndex = tileIndex;
+			return this;
+		}
+
+		public Tile Set(short tileIndex, short flags)
+		{
+			TileIndex = tileIndex;
+			Flags = flags;
+			return this;
+		}
+
+		public Tile Set(short tileIndex, short flags, Color color)
+		{
+			return Set(tileIndex, flags, color.RGBA);
+		}
+
+		public Tile Set(short tileIndex, short flags, int color)
+		{
+			TileIndex = tileIndex;
+			Flags = Flags.SetBit(FLAG_CUSTOM_COLOR);
+			Color = color;
+			return this;
+		}
+
+		public Tile Set(Tile other)
+		{
+			TileIndex = other.TileIndex;
+			Flags = other.Flags;
+			TileLight = other.TileLight;
+			SkyLight = other.SkyLight;
+			Rotation = other.Rotation;
+			ParentTileOffsetX = other.ParentTileOffsetX;
+			ParentTileOffsetY = other.ParentTileOffsetY;
+			ParentTileOffsetZ = other.ParentTileOffsetZ;
+			ParentTileWidth = other.ParentTileWidth;
+			ParentTileHeight = other.ParentTileHeight;
+			ParentTileDepth = other.ParentTileDepth;
+			Color = other.Color;
+			return this;
+		}
+
+		public Tile SetCustomColor(Color color)
+		{
+			return SetCustomColor(color.RGBA);
+		}
+
+		public Tile SetCustomColor(int color)
+		{
+			Flags = Flags.SetBit(FLAG_CUSTOM_COLOR);
+			this.Color = Color;
+			return this;
+		}
+
+		public Tile ClearCustomColor()
+		{
+			Flags = Flags.ClearBit(FLAG_CUSTOM_COLOR);
+			Color = 0;
+			return this;
+		}
+
+		public Tile Rotate(byte facingDirection)
+		{
+			if (facingDirection < 0 || facingDirection > 3)
+				throw new ArgumentException("Use one of the ROTATION_X constants.");
+			Flags = Flags.SetBit(FLAG_ROTATED);
+			Rotation = facingDirection;
+			return this;
+		}
+
+		public Tile RotateClockwise()
+		{
+			Flags = Flags.SetBit(FLAG_ROTATED);
+			Rotation -= 1;
+			if (Rotation < ROTATION_0)
+				Rotation = ROTATION_270;
+			return this;
+		}
+
+		public Tile RotateClockwise(int times)
+		{
+			Flags = Flags.SetBit(FLAG_ROTATED);
+			Rotation = (byte)MathHelpers.RolloverClamp((int)Rotation - times, (int)ROTATION_0, (int)ROTATION_270 + 1);
+			return this;
+		}
+
+		public Tile RotateCounterClockwise()
+		{
+			Flags = Flags.SetBit(FLAG_ROTATED);
+			Rotation += 1;
+			if (Rotation > ROTATION_270)
+				Rotation = ROTATION_0;
+			return this;
+		}
+
+		public Tile RotateCounterClockwise(int times)
+		{
+			Flags = Flags.SetBit(FLAG_ROTATED);
+			Rotation = (byte)MathHelpers.RolloverClamp((int)Rotation + times, (int)ROTATION_0, (int)ROTATION_270 + 1);
+			return this;
+		}
+
+		public static float GetBrightness(byte light)
+		{
+			// this is a copy of the brightness formula listed here:
+			// http://gamedev.stackexchange.com/a/21247
+			const float BASE_BRIGHTNESS = 0.086f;
+
+			float normalizedLightValue = (float)light / (float)(LIGHT_VALUE_MAX + 1);
+			return (float)Math.Pow((float)normalizedLightValue, 1.4f) + BASE_BRIGHTNESS;
+		}
+
+		public static byte AdjustLightForTranslucency(byte light, float translucency)
+		{
+			return (byte)Math.Round((float)light * (1.0f - translucency));
+		}
+
+		public static bool GetTransformationFor(Tile tile, ref Matrix4x4 rotation)
+		{
+			if (!tile.IsRotated)
+				return false;
+
+			switch (tile.Rotation)
+			{
+				case 0:
+					rotation = FaceNorthRotation;
+					return true;
+				case 1:
+					rotation = FaceEastRotation;
+					return true;
+				case 2:
+					rotation = FaceSouthRotation;
+					return true;
+				case 3:
+					rotation = FaceWestRotation;
+					return true;
+				default:
+					return false;
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
+