diff --git a/src/data.asm b/src/data.asm
index 66ea614..39f86e4 100644
--- a/src/data.asm
+++ b/src/data.asm
@@ -36,4 +36,11 @@ random:
 status:
     BYTE
 
+; Level temporary vars
+levelT:
+    BYTE
+levelC:
+    BYTE
+levelN:
+    BYTE
 
diff --git a/src/levels.asm b/src/levels.asm
index 1be8657..f2b723c 100644
--- a/src/levels.asm
+++ b/src/levels.asm
@@ -7,58 +7,72 @@ statusLevelSelect:
     ldy #$04
     sty levelVideoPointer + 1
 
+    ldy #39
+    sty levelColorPointer
+    ldy #$d8
+    sty levelColorPointer + 1
+
 ; Level data is compressed with RLE. Array example:
-; +---+---+---+---+---+-..-+---+---+
-; | T | C | T | C | . |    | 0 | 0 |
-; +---+---+---+---+---+-..-+---+---+
+; +---+---+---+---+---+---+--..--+---+---+---+
+; | T | C | N | T | C | N |  ..  | 0 | 0 | 0 |
+; +---+---+---+---+---+---+--..--+---+---+---+
 ; T tile char
-; C count (how many repeated tile chars)
+; C tile color
+; N count (how many repeated tile chars)
 ; 0 end of level
 
 writeLevelLoop:
-    ; read `T`, and save onto stack
+    ; read `T`
     ldy #0
     lda (levelPointer),y
-    pha
+    sta levelT
 
-    ; increment array pointer
-    lda #levelPointer
-    sta nextPointerPointer
-    ldx #1
-    jsr nextPointer
-
-    ; read `C`, and save onto stack
-    ldy #0
+    ; read `C`
+    iny
     lda (levelPointer),y
-    pha
+    sta levelC
+
+    ; read `N`
+    iny
+    lda (levelPointer),y
+    sta levelN
 
     ; increment array pointer
-    lda #levelPointer
-    sta nextPointerPointer
-    ldx #1
-    jsr nextPointer
-
-    ; retrieve `C` from stack and put in X and Y
-    pla
-    tay
+    iny
+    tya
     tax
-    ; retrieve `T` from stack
-    pla
+    lda #levelPointer
+    sta nextPointerPointer
+    jsr nextPointer
 
-    ; check array end
+    ; check for array end
+    lda levelN
     cmp #0
     beq writeLevelEnd
 
+    ; retrieve `N` and put in Y
+    ldy levelN
+
     ; unpack char from RLE to the screen
 writeLevelElement:
+    lda levelT
     sta (levelVideoPointer),y
+    lda levelC
+    sta (levelColorPointer),y
     dey
     bne writeLevelElement
 
+    ; increment dest video memory pointer
     lda #levelVideoPointer
     sta nextPointerPointer
-    ; reg X is still holding the original `C`
+    ldx levelN
     jsr nextPointer
+
+    lda #levelColorPointer
+    sta nextPointerPointer
+    ldx levelN
+    jsr nextPointer
+
     jmp writeLevelLoop
 
 writeLevelEnd:
diff --git a/src/zeropage.asm b/src/zeropage.asm
index 3fe9d66..0d277bc 100644
--- a/src/zeropage.asm
+++ b/src/zeropage.asm
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ levelPointer DS 2
 
 ; Pointer to video memory used in the level loading routine
 levelVideoPointer DS 2
+levelColorPointer DS 2
 
 ; Pointer for Pointer in the NextPointer routine
 nextPointerPointer DS 2
diff --git a/util/rlevel.cpp b/util/rlevel.cpp
index 71fbd9d..1e78c3f 100644
--- a/util/rlevel.cpp
+++ b/util/rlevel.cpp
@@ -4,16 +4,16 @@ using namespace std;
 const int MAXLEN = 64;
 
 void flush(char last, int count) {
-    char tile;
+    char tile, color;
     switch(last) {
         case 'x':
-            tile = (char)91; break;
+            tile = (char)91; color = (char)11; break;
         case 'f':
-            tile = (char)90; break;
+            tile = (char)90; color = (char)11; break;
         default:
             tile = (char)32; break;
     }
-    cout << tile << (char)count;
+    cout << tile << color << (char)count;
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char** argv) {
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
             cin.getline(line, MAXLEN);
             if (line[0] == 'z') {
                 flush(current, count);
-                cout << '\0' << '\0';
+                cout << '\0' << '\0' << '\0';
                 break;
             }
 
@@ -51,6 +51,5 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
             }
         }
     }
-    cout << '\0' << '\0';
 }