diff --git a/src/client/Client.ts b/src/client/Client.ts
index 01d5d0b4e..b1b223ed4 100644
--- a/src/client/Client.ts
+++ b/src/client/Client.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ class Client {
     private hasJoined = false
 
     private socket: WebSocket | null = null;
-    private terrainMap: TerrainMap
+    private terrainMap: Promise<TerrainMap>
     private game: ClientGame
 
     private lobbiesContainer: HTMLElement | null;
@@ -115,13 +115,15 @@ class Client {
         if (this.game != null) {
             return;
         }
-        this.game = createClientGame(getUsername(), new PseudoRandom(Date.now()).nextID(), lobby.id, getConfig(), this.terrainMap);
-        this.game.join();
-        const g = this.game;
-        window.addEventListener('beforeunload', function (event) {
-            console.log('Browser is closing');
-            g.stop();
-        });
+        this.terrainMap.then(tm => {
+            this.game = createClientGame(getUsername(), new PseudoRandom(Date.now()).nextID(), lobby.id, getConfig(), tm);
+            this.game.join();
+            const g = this.game;
+            window.addEventListener('beforeunload', function (event) {
+                console.log('Browser is closing');
+                g.stop();
+            });
+        })
     }
 
 
diff --git a/src/core/TerrainMapLoader.ts b/src/core/TerrainMapLoader.ts
index ba1fd5fc7..fae5e5953 100644
--- a/src/core/TerrainMapLoader.ts
+++ b/src/core/TerrainMapLoader.ts
@@ -29,8 +29,11 @@ export class Terrain {
     constructor(public type: TerrainType) { }
 }
 
-export function loadTerrainMap(): TerrainMap {
-    const fileData = binAsString;
+export async function loadTerrainMap(): Promise<TerrainMap> {
+    // Simulate an asynchronous file load
+    const fileData = await new Promise<string>((resolve) => {
+        setTimeout(() => resolve(binAsString), 100);
+    });
 
     console.log(`Loaded data length: ${fileData.length} bytes`);
 
@@ -40,9 +43,6 @@ export function loadTerrainMap(): TerrainMap {
 
     console.log(`Decoded dimensions: ${width}x${height}`);
 
-    // Log the first 100 bytes of data (including the width and height bytes)
-    // logBinaryAsAscii(fileData, 100);
-
     // Check if the data length matches the expected size
     if (fileData.length != width * height + 4) {  // +4 for the width and height bytes
         throw new Error(`Invalid data: buffer size ${fileData.length} incorrect for ${width}x${height} terrain plus 4 bytes for dimensions.`);