diff --git a/engine/assets/build.zig b/engine/assets/build.zig
index d8d0d7c..767d50e 100644
--- a/engine/assets/build.zig
+++ b/engine/assets/build.zig
@@ -1,28 +1,24 @@
 const std = @import("std");
+const core = @import("core").MakeModLib;
+
+const depList = [_][]const u8{
+    "core",
+    "packer",
+};
 
 pub fn build(b: *std.Build) void {
     const target = b.standardTargetOptions(.{});
     const optimize = b.standardOptimizeOption(.{});
     const static_build = b.option(bool, "static_build", "builds backlog dependencies for static linking") orelse false;
 
-    const mod = b.addModule("assets", .{
+    const engineMod = core.MakeModLib(b, .{
+        .name = "assets",
         .target = target,
         .optimize = optimize,
-        .root_source_file = b.path("src/assets.zig"),
+        .static_build = static_build,
     });
 
-    const core_dep = b.dependency(
-        "core",
-        .{ .target = target, .optimize = optimize, .static_build = static_build },
-    );
-    mod.addImport("core", core_dep.module("core"));
-
-    const packer_dep = b.dependency(
-        "packer",
-        .{ .target = target, .optimize = optimize, .static_build = static_build },
-    );
-
-    mod.addImport("packer", packer_dep.module("packer"));
+    engineMod.linkModLibs(&depList);
 
     const test_step = b.step("test", "run unit tests for assets");
     const tests = b.addTest(.{
@@ -33,7 +29,7 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.Build) void {
         }),
     });
 
-    tests.root_module.addImport("assets", mod);
+    tests.root_module.addImport("assets", engineMod);
     const runArtifact = b.addRunArtifact(tests);
     test_step.dependOn(&runArtifact.step);
     b.installArtifact(tests);
diff --git a/engine/audio/build.zig b/engine/audio/build.zig
index d28f4f8..46a4faf 100644
--- a/engine/audio/build.zig
+++ b/engine/audio/build.zig
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 const std = @import("std");
+const core = @import("core").MakeModLib;
 
 const depList = [_][]const u8{
     "miniaudio",
@@ -11,17 +12,14 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.Build) void {
     const optimize = b.standardOptimizeOption(.{});
     const static_build = b.option(bool, "static_build", "builds backlog dependencies for static linking") orelse false;
 
-    const mod = b.addModule("audio", .{
+    const engineMod = core.MakeModLib(b, .{
+        .name = "audio",
         .target = target,
         .optimize = optimize,
-        .root_source_file = b.path("src/audio.zig"),
+        .static_build = static_build,
     });
 
-    for (depList) |depName| {
-        const dep = b.dependency(depName, .{ .target = target, .optimize = optimize, .static_build = static_build });
-
-        mod.addImport(depName, dep.module(depName));
-    }
+    engineMod.linkModLibs(&depList);
 
     const test_step = b.step("test", "run unit tests for audio");
     const tests = b.addTest(.{
@@ -32,7 +30,7 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.Build) void {
         }),
     });
 
-    tests.root_module.addImport("audio", mod);
+    tests.root_module.addImport("audio", engineMod.mod);
     const runArtifact = b.addRunArtifact(tests);
     test_step.dependOn(&runArtifact.step);
     b.installArtifact(tests);
diff --git a/engine/core/build.zig b/engine/core/build.zig
index 7b7df2e..fc659fe 100644
--- a/engine/core/build.zig
+++ b/engine/core/build.zig
@@ -16,18 +16,14 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.Build) void {
     const optimize = b.standardOptimizeOption(.{});
     const static_build = b.option(bool, "static_build", "builds backlog dependencies for static linking") orelse false;
 
-    const core = MakeModLib();
-    
-    const mod = b.addModule("core", .{
+    const engineMod = MakeModLib(b, .{
+        .name = "core",
         .target = target,
         .optimize = optimize,
-        .root_source_file = b.path("src/core.zig"),
+        .static_build = static_build,
     });
 
-    for (dependencyList) |depName| {
-        const dep = b.dependency(depName, .{ .target = target, .optimize = optimize, .static_build = static_build });
-        mod.addImport(depName, dep.module(depName));
-    }
+    engineMod.linkModLibs(&dependencyList);
 
     const test_step = b.step("test", "run unit tests for core");
     const tests = b.addTest(.{
@@ -48,7 +44,7 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.Build) void {
         .linkage = .dynamic,
         .name = "external",
     });
-    sampleGameExtern.root_module.addImport("core", mod);
+    sampleGameExtern.root_module.addImport("core", engineMod.mod);
 
     const installExtern = b.addInstallArtifact(sampleGameExtern, .{
         .dest_dir = .{ .override = .{ .custom = "modules" } },
@@ -56,7 +52,7 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.Build) void {
 
     b.getInstallStep().dependOn(&installExtern.step);
 
-    tests.root_module.addImport("core", mod);
+    tests.root_module.addImport("core", engineMod.mod);
     const runArtifact = b.addRunArtifact(tests);
     test_step.dependOn(&runArtifact.step);
     runArtifact.step.dependOn(b.getInstallStep());
diff --git a/engine/core/build.zig.zon b/engine/core/build.zig.zon
index 6564332..02e2e54 100644
--- a/engine/core/build.zig.zon
+++ b/engine/core/build.zig.zon
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
         // with -Dtracy = false, this one pulls in no C dependencies
         .tracy = .{ .path = "../../lib/tracy" },
-        .bh = .{.path = "../../lib/bh" }
+        .bh = .{.path = "../../lib/bh" },
 
         // these are zig only
         .zmath = .{ .path = "../../lib/zmath" }, 
diff --git a/engine/imgui/build.zig b/engine/imgui/build.zig
index 7ab99f1..5b5ddd7 100644
--- a/engine/imgui/build.zig
+++ b/engine/imgui/build.zig
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 const std = @import("std");
+const core = @import("core");
 
 const dependencyList = [_][]const u8{
     "core",
@@ -13,17 +14,14 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.Build) void {
     const optimize = b.standardOptimizeOption(.{});
     const static_build = b.option(bool, "static_build", "builds backlog dependencies for static linking") orelse false;
 
-    const mod = b.addModule("imgui", .{
+    const engineMod = core.MakeModLib(b, .{
+        .name = "imgui",
         .target = target,
         .optimize = optimize,
-        .root_source_file = b.path("src/imgui.zig"),
+        .static_build = static_build,
     });
 
-    for (dependencyList) |depName| {
-        const dep = b.dependency(depName, .{ .target = target, .optimize = optimize, .static_build = static_build });
-        const dep_mod = dep.module(depName);
-        mod.addImport(depName, dep_mod);
-    }
+    engineMod.linkModLibs(&dependencyList);
 
     // ========== tests ==========
     const tests = b.addTest(.{
@@ -35,7 +33,7 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.Build) void {
     });
     const test_step = b.step("test", "run unit tests for imgui");
 
-    tests.root_module.addImport("platform", mod);
+    tests.root_module.addImport("platform", engineMod.mod);
     const runArtifact = b.addRunArtifact(tests);
     test_step.dependOn(&runArtifact.step);
     b.installArtifact(tests);
diff --git a/engine/net/build.zig b/engine/net/build.zig
index 4bb13aa..cfd9282 100644
--- a/engine/net/build.zig
+++ b/engine/net/build.zig
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 const std = @import("std");
+const core = @import("core");
 
 const depList = [_][]const u8{
     "core",
@@ -10,17 +11,14 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.Build) void {
     const optimize = b.standardOptimizeOption(.{});
     const static_build = b.option(bool, "static_build", "builds backlog dependencies for static linking") orelse false;
 
-    const mod = b.addModule("net", .{
+    const engineMod = core.MakeModLib(b, .{
+        .name = "imgui",
         .target = target,
         .optimize = optimize,
-        .root_source_file = b.path("src/net.zig"),
+        .static_build = static_build,
     });
 
-    for (depList) |depName| {
-        const dep = b.dependency(depName, .{ .target = target, .optimize = optimize, .static_build = static_build });
-
-        mod.addImport(depName, dep.module(depName));
-    }
+    engineMod.linkModLibs(&depList);
 
     const test_step = b.step("test", "run unit tests for net");
     const tests = b.addTest(.{
@@ -31,7 +29,7 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.Build) void {
         }),
     });
 
-    tests.root_module.addImport("net", mod);
+    tests.root_module.addImport("net", engineMod.mod);
     const runArtifact = b.addRunArtifact(tests);
     test_step.dependOn(&runArtifact.step);
     b.installArtifact(tests);
diff --git a/engine/papyrus/build.zig b/engine/papyrus/build.zig
index 0a7e0c8..8bd28cf 100644
--- a/engine/papyrus/build.zig
+++ b/engine/papyrus/build.zig
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
 const std = @import("std");
+const core = @import("core");
+
+const depList = [_][]const u8{
+    "core",
+};
 
 // very tiny, not intended to build anything just to run tests linked with libc
 pub fn build(b: *std.Build) void {
@@ -6,18 +11,23 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.Build) void {
     const optimize = b.standardOptimizeOption(.{});
     const static_build = b.option(bool, "static_build", "builds backlog dependencies for static linking") orelse false;
 
+    const engineMod = core.MakeModLib(b, .{
+        .name = "papyrus",
+        .target = target,
+        .optimize = optimize,
+        .static_build = static_build,
+    });
+
+    engineMod.linkModLibs(&depList);
+    engineMod.addIncludePath("src/");
+    engineMod.lib.addCSourceFile(b.path("src/compat.cpp"));
+
     const mod = b.addModule("papyrus", .{
         .target = target,
         .optimize = optimize,
         .link_libc = true,
         .root_source_file = b.path("src/papyrus.zig"),
     });
-    mod.addIncludePath(b.path("src/"));
-    mod.addCSourceFile(.{ .file = b.path("src/compat.cpp") });
-
-    const core_dep = b.dependency("core", .{ .target = target, .optimize = optimize, .static_build = static_build });
-
-    mod.addImport("core", core_dep.module("core"));
 
     // Creates a step for unit testing.
     const main_tests = b.addTest(.{
@@ -29,7 +39,6 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.Build) void {
         }),
     });
 
-    main_tests.root_module.addImport("core", core_dep.module("core"));
     main_tests.root_module.addImport("papyrus", mod);
     main_tests.root_module.addIncludePath(b.path("src/"));
 
diff --git a/engine/papyrus/src/papyrus.zig b/engine/papyrus/src/papyrus.zig
index 34601c2..d718a1d 100644
--- a/engine/papyrus/src/papyrus.zig
+++ b/engine/papyrus/src/papyrus.zig
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ pub const TextEntrySystem = @import("TextEntrySystem.zig");
 pub const DrawCommand = @import("DrawCommand.zig");
 pub const DrawList = std.ArrayList(DrawCommand);
 
-const core = @import("core");
+pub const core = @import("core");
 const colors = core.colors;
 pub const Color = colors.Color;
 pub const ColorRGBA8 = colors.RGBA8;
diff --git a/engine/papyrus/tests/testing.zig b/engine/papyrus/tests/testing.zig
index 7cee91d..cef2a63 100644
--- a/engine/papyrus/tests/testing.zig
+++ b/engine/papyrus/tests/testing.zig
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ const grapvizDotToPng = utils.grapvizDotToPng;
 const BmpRenderer = papyrus.BmpRenderer;
 const BmpWriter = BmpRenderer.BmpWriter;
 
-const core = @import("core");
+const core = papyrus.core;
 const colors = core.colors;
 const Color = colors.Color;
 const ColorRGBA8 = colors.ColorRGBA8;
diff --git a/lib/bh/build.zig b/lib/bh/build.zig
index 20bd275..5351704 100644
--- a/lib/bh/build.zig
+++ b/lib/bh/build.zig
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@ pub const ModLib = struct {
     lib: *std.Build.Step.Compile,
     mod: *std.Build.Module,
 
+    target: std.Build.ResolvedTarget,
+    optimize: std.builtin.OptimizeMode,
+    static_build: bool,
+
     pub fn install(self: @This()) void {
         self.b.installArtifact(self.lib);
     }
@@ -13,6 +17,19 @@ pub const ModLib = struct {
         self.lib.addIncludePath(self.b.path(path));
         self.mod.addIncludePath(self.b.path(path));
     }
+
+    pub fn linkModLibs(self: *@This(), list: []const []const u8) void {
+        for (list) |depName| {
+            const dep = self.b.dependency(depName, .{
+                .target = self.target,
+                .optimize = self.optimize,
+                .static_build = self.static_build,
+            });
+
+            self.mod.addImport(depName, dep.module(depName));
+            self.lib.linkLibrary(dep.artifact(depName));
+        }
+    }
 };
 
 pub const ModLibOptions = struct {
@@ -50,6 +67,9 @@ pub fn MakeModlib(b: *std.Build, o: ModLibOptions) ModLib {
         .b = b,
         .lib = lib,
         .mod = mod,
+        .target = o.target,
+        .optimize = o.optimize,
+        .static_build = o.static_build,
     };
 }