diff --git a/src/enemy.odin b/src/enemy.odin
index 1d6f318..778e450 100644
--- a/src/enemy.odin
+++ b/src/enemy.odin
@@ -76,6 +76,10 @@ get_spawn_rect :: proc(max_x, max_y: f32) -> rl.Rectangle {
     return rand_pos
 }
 
+// true when the enemy's candidate rect overlaps the player
+check_player_collision :: proc(rect: rl.Rectangle, player: ^Player) -> bool {
+    return rl.CheckCollisionRecs(rect, get_player_collider(player, player.position))
+}
 
 // @TODO consider a self check, ie pass the enemy in question index and make sure to skip that
 spawn_enemy :: proc(enemy_array: ^[MAX_ENEMIES]Enemy, assets: ^Enemy_Assets, enemy_count: ^int, game_map: Game_Map) {
@@ -92,7 +96,7 @@ spawn_enemy :: proc(enemy_array: ^[MAX_ENEMIES]Enemy, assets: ^Enemy_Assets, ene
 
         for attempt := 0; !valid_pos && attempt < MAX_ATTEMPTS; attempt += 1 {
             enemy_rect = get_spawn_rect(max_x, max_y)
-            valid_pos = !check_map_collision(enemy_rect, game_map) && !check_enemy_collision(enemy_rect, cnt, enemy_array)
+            valid_pos = !check_map_collision(enemy_rect, game_map) && !check_enemy_collision(enemy_rect, -1, cnt, enemy_array)
         }
         if !valid_pos {
             return // couldn't find a spot this call, skip spawning
@@ -105,7 +109,7 @@ spawn_enemy :: proc(enemy_array: ^[MAX_ENEMIES]Enemy, assets: ^Enemy_Assets, ene
     }
 }
 
-update_enemies :: proc(enemy_array: ^[MAX_ENEMIES]Enemy, assets: ^Enemy_Assets, enemy_cnt: int, game_map: Game_Map, dt: f32) {
+update_enemies :: proc(player: ^Player, enemy_array: ^[MAX_ENEMIES]Enemy, assets: ^Enemy_Assets, enemy_cnt: int, game_map: Game_Map, dt: f32) {
     for idx in 0..<enemy_cnt {
         enemy := &enemy_array[idx]
         moving := false
@@ -115,19 +119,25 @@ update_enemies :: proc(enemy_array: ^[MAX_ENEMIES]Enemy, assets: ^Enemy_Assets,
         enemy_grid_pos   := world_to_grid(enemy_center)
         enemy_grid_index := grid_to_index(enemy_grid_pos.x, enemy_grid_pos.y, game_map.width)
 
-        // already normalized
+        // get dir from flow field already normalized
         flow_dir := game_map.flow_field[enemy_grid_index]
 
-        // wall avoidance steering
+        // check around enemies for separation of neighbors
+        enemy_push := get_enemy_separation(idx, enemy_cnt, enemy_array)
+        wall_push := get_wall_separation(enemy, game_map)
+        steer_dir  := rl.Vector2Normalize(flow_dir + enemy_push + wall_push)
+        target_velocity := steer_dir * enemy.speed
 
-        target_velocity := flow_dir * enemy.speed
-
-        enemy.velocity = rl.Vector2MoveTowards(enemy.velocity, target_velocity, enemy.accel * dt)
         // Check for collisions
+        // target_velocity := flow_dir * enemy.speed
+        enemy.velocity = rl.Vector2MoveTowards(enemy.velocity, target_velocity, enemy.accel * dt)
+
         new_position := enemy.velocity * dt
         new_x_pos := rl.Vector2{enemy.position.x + new_position.x, enemy.position.y}
         if
-        !check_map_collision(get_enemy_collider(enemy^, new_x_pos), game_map)
+        !check_map_collision(get_enemy_collider(enemy^, new_x_pos), game_map) &&
+		!check_enemy_collision(get_enemy_collider(enemy^, new_x_pos), idx, enemy_cnt, enemy_array) &&
+		!check_player_collision(get_enemy_collider(enemy^, new_x_pos), player)
         {
             enemy.position.x = new_x_pos.x
             moving = true
@@ -136,9 +146,12 @@ update_enemies :: proc(enemy_array: ^[MAX_ENEMIES]Enemy, assets: ^Enemy_Assets,
             moving = false
         }
 
+
         new_y_pos := rl.Vector2{enemy.position.x, enemy.position.y + new_position.y}
         if
-        !check_map_collision(get_enemy_collider(enemy^, new_y_pos), game_map)
+        !check_map_collision(get_enemy_collider(enemy^, new_y_pos), game_map) &&
+		!check_enemy_collision(get_enemy_collider(enemy^, new_y_pos), idx, enemy_cnt, enemy_array) &&
+		!check_player_collision(get_enemy_collider(enemy^, new_y_pos), player)
         {
             enemy.position.y = new_y_pos.y
             moving = true
@@ -150,10 +163,76 @@ update_enemies :: proc(enemy_array: ^[MAX_ENEMIES]Enemy, assets: ^Enemy_Assets,
         enemy.state = moving ? .WALK : .IDLE
         animation_play(&enemy.animation, &assets.clips[enemy.state])
         animation_update(&enemy.animation, dt)
-        
+
     }
 }
 
+get_wall_separation:: proc(enemy: ^Enemy, game_map: Game_Map) -> rl.Vector2 {
+    // how close another enemy needs to be before we push away from them
+    distance_check: f32 = TILE_SIZE
+    total_push := rl.Vector2{}
+
+    current_enemy_center := get_enemy_center(enemy^, enemy.position)
+    enemy_grid := world_to_grid(current_enemy_center)
+    min_grid := Grid_Pos(rl.Vector2{f32(enemy_grid.x - 1), f32(enemy_grid.y - 1)})
+    max_grid := Grid_Pos(rl.Vector2{f32(enemy_grid.x + 1), f32(enemy_grid.y + 1)})
+
+	for gy := min_grid[1]; gy <= max_grid[1]; gy += 1 {
+		for gx := min_grid[0]; gx <= max_grid[0]; gx += 1 {
+
+            // bounds check
+			if gx < 0 || gx >= game_map.width || gy < 0 || gy >= game_map.height do continue
+
+			idx := (gy * game_map.width) + gx
+			tile := Tile_Type(game_map.data[idx])
+			def := tile_defs[tile]
+
+			if def.solid {
+				tile_grid := grid_to_world(gx, gy)
+               	tile_grid.x += TILE_SIZE / 2
+               	tile_grid.y += TILE_SIZE / 2
+
+                distance_between := rl.Vector2Distance(tile_grid, current_enemy_center)
+
+                if distance_between < distance_check {
+                    // vector pointing away from the other enemy, stronger the closer they are
+                    // (not normalized — closer enemies naturally produce a bigger vector here)
+                    total_push += (current_enemy_center - tile_grid)
+                }
+            }
+
+        }
+    }
+
+    return total_push
+}
+
+get_enemy_separation :: proc(self_idx: int, active_enemies: int, enemies: ^[MAX_ENEMIES]Enemy) -> rl.Vector2 {
+    // how close another enemy needs to be before we push away from them
+    distance_check: f32 = TILE_SIZE / 2
+
+    current_enemy := enemies[self_idx]
+    current_enemy_center := get_enemy_center(current_enemy, current_enemy.position)
+
+    // adds the combined push-away value of every nearby enemy
+    total_push := rl.Vector2{}
+
+    for idx in 0..<active_enemies {
+        if idx == self_idx do continue
+
+        other_enemy := enemies[idx]
+        other_enemy_center := get_enemy_center(other_enemy, other_enemy.position)
+        distance_between := rl.Vector2Distance(current_enemy_center, other_enemy_center)
+
+        if distance_between < distance_check {
+            // vector pointing away from the other enemy, stronger the closer they are
+            // (not normalized — closer enemies naturally produce a bigger vector here)
+            total_push += (current_enemy_center - other_enemy_center)
+        }
+    }
+
+    return total_push
+}
 
 draw_enemies :: proc(enemy_array: ^[MAX_ENEMIES]Enemy, enemy_cnt: int) {
     for idx in 0..<enemy_cnt {
diff --git a/src/game.odin b/src/game.odin
index 6474e31..bbced5c 100644
--- a/src/game.odin
+++ b/src/game.odin
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ game_update :: proc(game: ^Game) {
         update_camera(&game.player, &game.camera, game.current_map.width_px, game.current_map.height_px)
 
         if update_timer(&game.enenmy_spawn_timer, dt) do spawn_enemy(&game.enemies, &game.assets.enemy, &game.enemy_count, game.current_map)
-        update_enemies(&game.enemies, &game.assets.enemy, game.enemy_count, game.current_map, dt)
+        update_enemies(&game.player, &game.enemies, &game.assets.enemy, game.enemy_count, game.current_map, dt)
     }
 
     // @ DEBUG
diff --git a/src/map.odin b/src/map.odin
index a67f9c7..d92784a 100644
--- a/src/map.odin
+++ b/src/map.odin
@@ -184,8 +184,9 @@ check_map_collision :: proc(rect: rl.Rectangle, game_map: Game_Map) -> bool {
 }
 
 // true when collision found
-check_enemy_collision :: proc(rect_a: rl.Rectangle, active_enemies: int, enemies: ^[MAX_ENEMIES]Enemy) -> bool {
+check_enemy_collision :: proc(rect_a: rl.Rectangle, self_idx: int, active_enemies: int, enemies: ^[MAX_ENEMIES]Enemy) -> bool {
     for idx in 0..<active_enemies {
+        if idx == self_idx do continue
         e := enemies[idx]
         enemy_rect := get_enemy_collider(e, e.position)